Words
by Anonymizz334
Summary: Mal and Natara begin to find strange notes in their mailboxes, ironically enough, around the same time that it's discovered that Shawn has not only awaken from his coma, but escaped from the hospital. So what do Mal and Natara do? They go into hiding.
1. Prologue

_**Words- Prologue**_

_Natara Williams_

Words are the greatest indicator of our lives.

It's how we communicate.

How we express ourselves.

Words can cause specific emotions; they can cause you to laugh, cry, become overjoyed, hell… They can even ruin your life.

Words are words. And one little word can speak volumes.

People say that pictures paint a thousand words, which I guess is true….

But here's what I say: _Words can paint a billion pictures._

Words, also, can trigger memories.

Like the word: _Love_

I've been in love. I think.

It's a weird thing. It's one of those words that you can't look up in a dictionary, because if you really think about it, who can truly define it?

Love is subjective.

Moreover, I haven't decided if what I'm feeling is love or just _coincidence._

That's another word. _Coincidence._

That word paints a picture, as well.

_I see a little girl. Really little. She's probably only four or five. Wandering through the woods alone. _

_Picking flowers from the nature-made fields, she hums a melody to herself. One that she invented all on her own. Her knee-length, lavender dress blows through the wind, as her long, dark hair follows it._

_The field seemed to be pulling her into it, towering over her and suffocating her. But she was just a little girl._

_How could she ever know? She just wanted her damn flowers._

_Still humming the verse, focused only on the song and the task at hand, she ignored everything around her- the buzzing bees, the swaying trees, and the crunching leaves, underneath her tiny feet._

_The world was hers. She was just a little girl. That wanted to pick some flowers._

_The world was frozen in time, though, when a warm, soft hand rested its weight on her bare shoulder. Dropping her freshly picked floral items, she whipped around. Her hair following._

_She gasped, screaming at who she saw. "What are _you_ doing here?! Can't you see I'm busy? Go away!"_

_She screamed it at the innocent young boy before her. Dark hair, taller than her… but she was just a little girl. It seemed like everybody was taller than her. His eyes matched the color of the sparkling, river only a few feet away. _

"_I said, leave me be! I'm busy!"_

_He frowned. "I can't just leave you be… I want to help you. Your hands look a little full."_

_She was about to scream at him, again. But she didn't, for whatever reason. Instead, she just released a deep sigh. "Fine! But if you pick any one of these wrong… you have to leave! Got it?"_

_He nodded._

_Coincidentally, he didn't wreck a single stem, or tarnish a single petal._

_Because she was just a little girl. All she wanted was her goddamn flowers._


	2. Chapter 1

_**Words- Chapter One- The Beginning of the End**_

_Mal Fallon_

Staring at it made my heart pound.

My vision get blurry.

My legs shake.

I could have fallen over.

But… I'm pretty sure I was sitting.

I shut my eyes- only for a second. Maybe it was because I didn't want to look at it anymore. Or maybe it was because I couldn't _believe it. _Anymore.

I re-opened my lids slowly, thoroughly analyzing what I walked into this morning. An invitation. On my desk.

_Please join us in the joining of two, smitten hearts._

_Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Santos_

_April 24__th__, 2012_

_Emerald Hill Chapel_

After releasing a deep intake of air, that was pent up inside of me for who really knows how long, I began to hate Oscar further. '_Please Join us in the joining of two, smitten hearts'._ Cheesy, much? _'Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Santos'. _Really? You couldn't stoop as low as to put her _real_ legal name on the invite?

Maybe I was just angry.

Maybe Oscar wasn't such a horrible guy, after all.

In reality, I didn't know what the deal was. Maybe it was just the truth, and I couldn't deal with how much it stung.

After gaining composure, I looked up, where I heard a pair of heels click up to my doorway. Standing there, between myself and the bullpen. There she was. "Morning, Partner… You like them?"

I stood confused for a second, hoping she wasn't referring to the elegantly crafted wedding invitation in the middle of my desk. "Do I like what?"

"The invites…." She spoke softly, stepping into my tiny office.

Natara never liked people to hear her. I mean, she did. She wanted people to listen to her. But if possible, she'd want every conversation as intimate as possible. Especially her conversations with myself. Her best friend. And her work partner.

I didn't know whether to be honest. Or to lie. Sometimes, as bad as it is, lying sounds better. "They're great, Natara. I'm happy for you."

She sighed, stepping past me and to the window. The blinds were pretty much stapled shut, not permitting even a centimeter of sunlight. She changed that, though. Natara always did. "You know… you always say that. But honestly.. You are, right?"

No. No. I definitely wasn't. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

I could think of a few reasons.

To begin, my best friend was getting married. Aside from her being the only person that I really trust anymore, she was always somebody I relied on. I've saved her life more times that I could count. And I'd do it a thousand times more. As she would for me. But I knew that. And if push came to shove, I'd take a bullet for her.

She knew that, too.

What she didn't know, was how I really felt. Or maybe she did. If she didn't by now, I don't know how she made it as an FBI profiler for this long….

But either way, it was something we never talked about. And I had a feeling we never would. Ever.

This tiny, white, with the letters engraved in gold, wedding invitation, further proved that.

"I don't know. You just don't really talk to me anymore. I would hate to think it was because of Oscar. I know he's a little… rough around the edges…"

I laughed, mentally of course. Natara Williams. Queen of understating.

She continued, focusing on something outside, far in the distance. Her eyebrows scrunched. I couldn't really see much of her face. But something told me she looked gorgeous. She always did.

Honestly.

"Mal, how come you aren't saying anything?"

I sighed. Think, Mal. Think of a plausible reason. "I guess.. I g-guess I'm just stressed out right now. It's just a hard day."

That was a plausible reason. But it wasn't a good reason.

Natara, being not only my best friend, but one of the sweetest, most kind-hearted people I knew, she left her place over by the window, and went behind me.

The scent of her perfume was intoxicating. Even more so was her delicate fingers. They traced soft lines along my back and found their grip on my shoulder blades. "You need to relax…" She whispered. "San Francisco needs you to relax."

She massaged my shoulders lightly, but rough enough to release all of the tension in them.

But the worst part- as soon as she let go of me, I was going to feel bad again.

Maybe it was just the mornings. I wasn't ever a morning person. I relaxed deep into my chair, letting Natara continue to massage away all of the tension from my upper back. "_Mmmm…_Thank you. That feels…"

She giggled, and my heart began to race. "Amazing? I know."

As I expected, I felt empty after she let go. "Better? Ready to take on the day?"

I sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."

My back muscles made a popping noise as I stood up. I straightened my clothes as I headed out towards the bullpen. Natara lead, and I followed. But before I left, I needed to clear the clutter. "I'll meet you in a minute, okay?"

She nodded, and left my side. After she was out of sight, I gripped that stupid invitation, and let it meet the trash bin underneath my metal desk.

"Now, I'm better."

_Twenty-Four Hours later_

_San Francisco Police Department_

Incident reports became my primary focus. And it was refreshing. To be able to focus on my work. Lately, I just couldn't.

As I finished one, and then another, and then one more. My clock hit eight.

I finished another, and then another. And then one more.

On the next one, I almost finished. But then. A light knocking disrupted my focus. I snapped into reality. I could tell by the knock alone who it was. And before I could even reply, she slipped in through a crack in the door.

"I brought you a coffee…" She started with. "The coffee here is disgusting. We both know that."

I chuckled. "That's too true… how's your stack of paperwork coming?"

She made her way across the room to where I was, setting my pile aside, and making my desk her new seat. I laughed at that. She always did that. "It's not. I wish I could say my pile was lighter than yours…"

I laughed. I couldn't help but look at her. Because as always, she looked absolutely beautiful. "Rough day?" I asked.

She nodded. Her face changed. I saw sadness. And whenever I saw that look on her face, I got angry. Angry at whoever caused it. She shrugged her shoulders and locked her eyes with me. "Mal, I'm tired. I want to sleep. Forever."

I stood up, approaching her. "Don't say that. Relax, just for a minute… Come here."

I gently took her hands, leading her to the chair. She giggled a little. "My turn?"

I smiled, and began to message her shoulders. Her head went back against my stomach. And the moment- it was incredible.

I decided it wasn't going to be short-lived. My fingers traced their way delicately down her arms gripping the muscles, and releasing them. I heard a soft moan escape her lips. "_Mal…"_ followed it.

It was something I would love to get used to.

In a perfect world.

Natara even allowed me to slowly remove her dark blazer jacket, and continue to massage her shoulder blades. The black, thin strap of her bra came through her white tank top. God, how I wanted to just take everything off.

_Stop it, Mal. She's almost married._

Almost. But not yet.

My fingers accidentally brushed her tank top strap off her shoulder, where it rested on her arm. Her bra strap followed.

Surprisingly, she still sat idly, letting me massage her.

Quiet moans escaped her for a couple of minutes, and I thought that maybe she was even sleeping.

Maybe Natara wasn't actually mine. But she was my everything.

And maybe she was in love with Oscar. But she wasn't in love with him.

Every opportunity to show her how much better than him I was, I took advantage of. Between moments like this, when I was simply being her friend, helping her relax. Or moments when we were in life or death situations, where I showed her that I would give my life for her.

Either way, she pretended she had no idea.

Suddenly, she shifted forward, resting her head and arms on my desk, hinting that I should massage more of her back. And I began to.

I noticed all of the beautiful curves of her back. She was thin. But she was muscular. But not too muscular. Tiny freckles covered her back. They almost blended in with her naturally dark skin. A small smile tugged at her lips. I knew this was so inappropriate. And if the Captain walked in, Natara and I would both get pegged for sexual harassment or something.

Too bad it isn't harassment if it's wanted.

I noticed where her bra hooked together, and how incredibly easy they make those things to undo. I sighed. _Control yourself, Mal. Keep the snake in its cage._

But the soft moans continued. "Mal… that feels so amazing." She mumbled.

Her voice got louder.

"Seriously. Don't stop."

I didn't stop.

My fingers traced light circles around her lower back. And before I could even stop my hands, they found their way in front of her. On her tiny stomach.

She still hasn't stopped me yet.

My hands slowly, very cautiously, went further up. Aiming for her chest.

The soft moans continued. And she still didn't stop me.

I continued lifting my hands further up her stomach.

She hasn't stopped me yet.

I was almost there, my destination. A destination where there wasn't any turning back.

And then.

Just then.

Her cell phone rang.

I thought that maybe, just maybe. She might ignore it.

But she didn't

I sighed in disbelief, beyond angry that she answered it, especially considering who it was on the other end. "Oscar. I'm at work. What's up?"

I immediately backed away from her, adjusting my perceptions back to reality.

Deciding I needed to separate myself from the situation, I walked towards the bullpen. I'd rather deal with all that out there than the Natara-Oscar scenario.

The only thing I could do was grab a fresh brew and and try to relax a little. But on the way to the break room, I decided I needed to check my mailbox.

I'm not sure why.

I hadn't looked in nearly a month.

It was just something to do.

I fished through the various paper ads that were in there, examining only the good coupons for food. There was one for Marco's Pizza and Wings. Take one dollar off any order that includes their new Garlic Wings. I nodded and considered that. "Damn, I must be hungry. I threw almost everything else away.

I tucked the coupon into my wallet, and then continued going through the last remaining pieces of mail.

I stumbled on the tiniest, little piece. The last piece. A little note folded in half- like a fortune from a fortune cookie.

I glaced around the room quickly, suspiciously.

My fingers traced the outline of it.

I peeled it open.

My jaw hit the floor.

_liar._


	3. Chapter 2

_**Words- Chapter Two- Infidelity**_

_Mal Fallon_

_Liar…_

"Liar?" I said out loud.

I didn't have a second to question to note I found. Somebody else from behind me spoke up.

"I lied about nothing! I don't care what Blaise tells you guys! It's all her! I- I… "

I turned around. A red-faced Jeremy redbird stands a few feet away. I raised my brow in concern. "Uh… I don't know what that was… but… do you know what _this _is?"

He approached me, his face scrunching in confusion, seeing what I held.

"_Liar?"_ He asked. "Did you just find this?"

I nodded.

"Wow. You think it's a joke?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. It was just in my mail. Maybe from a while ago. I haven't checked this thing in nearly a month."

He shook his head from left to right, pouring himself a cup of Joe. "Well, look in mine. Is there a note in mine?"

Each cubby had the names of all the officers in alphabetical order. I scrolled backwards from mine to the J's. Jeremy's was near empty. The only thing in there was an envelope, and it didn't have any accusatory statements in it, or on it.

I sighed.

"Shoot." Jeremy Commented. "That's weird… tell the Captain."

I scoffed. "Tell Anders about _this?_ That's a laugh."

Wandering back towards my office with the tiny note in hand, I nearly forgot that I left Natara in my office. Walking back in, I felt like I was interrupting something. "Oscar! I said I'm at work. I'll see you at home, later! Now please stop!"

I made out shouting from the other end, but couldn't put words or sentences together.

Natara spoke again. "Alright, well then, how about I lose my job then, just so I can answer your call right away? Will that make you happy?"

More yelling came from the other end. And after what felt like an hour of back and forth bickering, she hung up.

Acting shockingly calm about it, she looked at me with concern. "Mal, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why?"

I decided I wasn't going to mention the note to her. It was probably a joke, right?

"You just look a little upset. But anyways… I'm sorry about that."

I shrugged, sipping my caffeine. "No big deal. Trouble at home?"

I watched her face. I always did. The word _home _made her twitch a tiny bit. "No. He's just… he's worried. I work with all guys. He hates thinking about it."

Wow. Really Oscar? You don't have to be a profiler to see how insecure you are. "He's just nervous. You guys will be fine."

She sighed heavily, marching towards me. "I don't know.. I feel like I'm so.. I'm so…"

I finished her sentence, but I really didn't mean to. "Tired of it?"

She nodded. "Yeah…" She looked surprised that I guessed.

"Sandra and I had that. But… That was way after we had gotten married. The engagement, the wedding, honeymoon, all great. The fighting didn't come until later."

A frown creeped onto her face. "That's… that's a problem."

I nodded. Tiny molecules of water formed, shielding her eyes. I saw that. But I knew that because it was Natara, she really hoped I didn't. "Yeah." I added.

As wrong as their engagement was, I couldn't see her cry. I mean, I could. But if I did, I would kill Oscar. So I had to repair. "Natara, everything's going to be fine. Couples fight. Sandra and I fought plenty of times before we got married. Small fights. But there still were some."

The frown disappeared a little, but not much.

"Weddings are stressful," I continued, "But don't let it eat your relationship. Be strong."

She smiled again. And it seemed like there never was a problem to begin with.

"Anyways…Want to grab lunch? My treat!"

I smiled at her smile. "I'd be a fool to say no."

_Twenty-Four Hours Later- Natara Williams_

It was the following day when I peeked into my mailbox in the morning. I yawned, thumbing through the sparing documents. A letter from Chief Blair. Great…

And then something else.

A piece of paper.

It was tiny. Like a fortune cookie.

"Weird…" I mumbled to myself.

The door to the mail room opened behind me. And I heard a familiar voice.

"Rise and Shine, partner! Anders wants us in his office."

I heard what Mal said, but kind of, momentarily ignored it. I peeled open the piece of paper.

It was strange. Even holding it between my fingers made me feel anxious.

I read it.

_Infidelity_

I gasped.

Dropping my coffee mug onto the floor, it shattered.

So did any ounce of 'tired' that was still lingering in me.

Mal approached my side. "Nat, what was that about… are you ok-"

He saw the note. "What is that? How did you get that?"

I paused.

"My mailbox… I…" I don't know how it got there!"

My voice got shaky. Was this some kind of joke? I would never cheat on Oscar. No matter how often we were fighting recently. I did love him. Definitely loved him enough, at the very least, to not cheat on him.

"Who did this?" I murmured.

Mal snatched the paper from me, his eyes widened. "What's in the envelope?"

I shrugged. I didn't see how that was really important right now. But regardless, I opened it.

"It's a letter from Chief Blair… Call him upon receiving."

I sighed. That was never good.

I tucked the note into my blazer's pocket, deciding I would pick that apart later. I went to my desk and dialed the number that my fingers struggled with. It had been almost two years since I've ever dialed it. It was strange. His secretary answered. "He's in a meeting. He'll be in touch."

She hung up, and I remembered Mal saying we needed to meet with the Captain.

Trudging towards his office, I tried to decipher the note in my head. Was the author suggesting that I was cheating? Was it a simple statement? Who did it? And when? Where? And lastly, more importantly, _why?_

Nothing about it added up.

Mal held the door to his office open for me. "Good morning, Detective.. Agent, please. Take a seat. I'd like to keep this as brief as possible."

The both of us did as directed. Expecting to be briefed on a new case in the works, we both yawned. The routine was mundane, for such a dangerous career.

"Agent Williams, I'm not sure how to break this to you, and really, I wish it wasn't so. So I'm sorry. But here goes… well, um, about a week ago, the patient Shawn Mallory escaped from his hospital bed in Fresno, California."

Shawn. _Shawn._

I thought my head was going to explode.

I searched for words, but came out with none. Mal spoke. "How is that even possible? He was supposed to be in a medically induced coma? Less than ten percent chance of him ever waking up? What happened to that? What happened to a twenty-four seven surveillance by an officer?"

"Whoa, Detective, please… don't interrogate me! It isn't my fault! Plus, in all due respect, he can't be watched forever. Like you said, the doctors all said he probably wouldn't ever wake up."

I sat frozen in time- pure shock and disbelief eating away at me as I tried to piece it together. "I see, well…" Mal continued, "What do we do? Natara sure as hell isn't safe!"

"Mr. Fallon, neither are you. By the request of Chief Blair and also confirmed by my approval. We're placing the two of you under witness protection."

Our jaws dropped in unison. As we both began to protest simultaneously, yet shouting different arguments, Anders sat and waited.

Eventually, he got sick of sitting and calmly waiting, and interrupted. "Enough! You hear me? The feds and the Detectives here will be both paired together to work on this. I'm pulling out all the stops… However, the two of you have exactly two hours to go back to your places and gather up enough of your belongings to last a month."

My jaw dropped. "A month! I'm supposed to be getting married in two weeks!"

Anders sighed. "Agent, the longest this should take is one week, if we're lucky. It's only a precaution. And your safety depends on your cooperation."

Me and Mal looked at each other, exchanging an uneasy glance. The two of us both had about a million questions, but buried them all for the time being.

Exiting the office, we immediately, as instructed, left the premises. We weren't permitted to say goodbye to all of our co-workers. Anders mentioned that in order for the operation to be successful, they need to believe that we went missing, or something like that.

The car ride, by some stranger who introduced himself as Jan, was long and awkward. We went from apartment to apartment, and I had to admit, I was nervous. "What if Oscar is home? What do I do? How do I explain leaving with a suitcase?"

He shrugged. "You could always just pretend like you're leaving him…"

I felt my lips open, I gasped. "Mal, b-but I can't do that."

"Business trip?"

I shook my head rapidly. "You're right, business trip won't work."

Oscar and I weren't always on the same level, but he would definitely think I was lying if I randomly brought up a business trip. He would investigate further, and that can't happen. If I said I was leaving him, he might just drink himself into oblivion and leave it be. That's kind of what I needed right now.

"If everybody at the precinct thinks we're going to be missing, then that's what Oscar needs to think as well. Remember, you can't tell him the truth, Natara."

I nodded, and exited the unmarked vehicle as I made my way upstairs. I couldn't help but feel on edge. Shawn had escaped. I could protect myself, sure, But I didn't want to have to live in fear forever. Why can't he just _stop _already?

I pushed those thoughts into the back of my mind, temporarily, and focused on the task at hand: acting.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Words- Chapter Three- Gone for a While**_

_Oscar Santos_

Nerves consumed me.

I wasn't ready to have this talk with Natara. The truth was that I loved her. I knew it, and she knew it. As often as we fought, the love really got the best of us, in the end. And I hated to be the one to apologize. I'm stubborn. But in this scenario. An apology on my part is the least I should do.

I even picked up her favorite- lilies- on the way from work.

Upon entry to the apartment, shock smacked me against the face. And it left a mark.

"N-Natara… " I half-mumbled, half-stuttered her name. There were two, large, suitcases against the door.

A slim, dark figure exited from what I know to be our bedroom.

"Natara, what's… what's this?"

After she emerged from the darkness. I saw something I never ever saw from her. Tears.

"Oscar… I need to tell you something…"

I waited. My knees wobbled. And I could have fallen over.

"I'm leaving. I'm…." She sighed. "I'm going to be gone for a while."

A sudden river of protests escaped my lips. "Natara, look…" I approached her with a tender hand, grazing her cheek lightly. "… I said some things today. I didn't mean any of it! I love you. I want to be with you… forever. This fight is dumb. Please, just please. Let me make it up to you."

I held out the pink lilies I brought home, and another tear escaped her. "Oscar… It isn't… It's not-"

Cruel anger took over me. "Don't say it's not me. Because if you say that. I'm going to know exactly _who _it is."

Her face looked puzzled, but she continued to whisper. "It isn't you, Oscar! It's me!"

I couldn't help but laugh. It helped keep me calm. "It _is _you. And it's someone else."

"What are you talking about, Oscar?"

"Mal!" I finally screamed. "Everyone can see it! I'm an idiot for not seeing it sooner!"

More tears poured from her, but she didn't speak.

"And I'm sick of sitting here with you, every goddamn night, pretending that we're in love and it's just the two of us. It's a three-way, Nat. I'm fed up with it. It's always been this way. And the sickening part is… I'm the third wheel. Always."

She just kept shaking her head from left to right, fixating at my feet, but not my eyes.

"Natara, look me in the eyes, right now, and tell me that you don't have feelings for him,"

She remained silent. Her green eyes digging metaphoric holes into my leather shoes.

"I'm waiting!"

She sighed, and looked up. "I'm not going to do that, Oscar." Her gaze held my eyes, and she kept talking. "Clearly, we're here because you don't trust me. You never did. This morning… you gave a clear indicator. And right now… it's been confirmed."

She moved past me and towards the door.

"Our insecurities can't keep eating away at us like this. I'm sorry."

I froze. _'our insecurities'…_

"I wish you the best, Oscar".

_An Hour and a Half Later- San Francisco International Airport_

_Natara Williams_

Mal and I both barely succeeded in getting all of our things, and making it on board our jet in time.

Mal kept giving me a strange look, probably because it was evident that I had been crying. Yet he trusted me not to say a thing.

We arrived in our seats to the jet. And it was a little luxurious, despite the circumstances of the situation. We were abruptly greeted by a tall, older gentleman. I didn't recognize him. "Frank Erhman. Nice to meet you Agent, Detective. I apologize for the circumstances, of course. But the good news, you're going to be safe. For the time being. But before I can make a promise like that, I need to know I have your cooperation."

I still had a hard time speaking. Mal didn't, though. "Where are we going, Frank?"

The man took a seat across from us. "Well, it's a little far from home… but… it's a tiny town called Kettleville, Alaska."

_Alaska…_seriously? Why couldn't they, at the very least, send us someplace tropical? Florida? Jamaica, maybe? Mal kept with the questions. "Kettleville… sounds wonderful. Question, how long are we going to be gone for?"

"Until the suspect is either dead or in custody." He answered immediately.

Mal shook his head, and the plane went silent.

Frank began speaking. "Agent, your new name is Vanessa. Vanessa Farrell. You're a homemaker. Detective, your new name is Luke Farrell. You're a fisherman from Anchorage."

We both remained silent, eyeing each other. We were supposed to be married.

And this wasn't the first time for that.

After learning our stories and memorizing them, and coordinating what we'd say if anybody ever asked us questions, Frank departed back to the front of the plane.

Leaving Mal and me in our seats. Mal spoke up, "What's wrong?"

I fought back more tears. Giving it everything I had. "Nothing. Why?"

"Smeared makeup. Clear indicator that you'd been crying. Did the Oscar thing go bad?"

I shook my head.

"If he was an asshole to you, just say the words and I'll…"

Suddenly, Frank's deep voice shot up from the front of the plane.

"Mr. and Mrs. Farrell, I need you two to begin to get in character, please. We can't have any errors."

We both sighed simultaneously.

"Luke, I'm just really tired I think. I'm gonna get some sleep, if that's alright."

He smiled and slipped his arm around me. "Of course it's alright. I'll wake you up when the plane lands, honey."

I smiled at his humor. He was so funny, sometimes. I rested my head on his warm chest, feeling it rise and fall. The weird thing- his heart was beating out of control.

_Frank Erhman- Front of Plane_

I looked back towards the two officers. Her head was comfortably rested on his chest, with her eyes stapled shut. His arm was draped around her. He just watched her.

Ultimately, an adorable thing. I spoke to the pilot.

"Wow. These two are really good at following orders. Look at how in character they are, already!"

The pilot laughed.

"I like it when my job is easy."


	5. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Thanks for all of the AMAZING reviews! A couple mentioned the quickness of my updates… and that's because yes, I am just speedy quick. It's just how I write. If I write slow, then it just turns out crappy. And I think that's weird, but whatever. And yes, LOTS of Maltara will happen in this story, but most of it happens towards the end of the story… tiny moments of maltara will happen periodically throughout the chapters, but expect a lot more later on. PS: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS OR IDEAS. Lol…. I always forget to mention that… Enjoy __J_

_**Words- Chapter Four- Just the Three of Us**_

_Natara Williams - Anchorage, Alaska_

We arrived at the airport in Anchorage, but due to the location of Kettleville, we had to take a smaller, much scarier-looking plane to our new location.

I whispered to Mal while we were transferring flights. "Mal, if I die on this aircraft, I just want you to know something…"

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to finish.

"…Your shoe is untied."

Mal looked angered. He looked down, and he realized I was right. I skipped away with a small smirk on my face.

After boarding the new plane, hearing the creaking noises present with this plane, I would have almost would rather have just dealt with Shawn.

"Is Frank going to be with us permanently, you think?" Mal questioned, sitting next to me.

"Probably. But he probably won't be staying with us. Remember? We have to blend in… Living with some random, middle-aged man doesn't seem ordinary."

Mal agreed. "Yeah. You're probably right… But no matter what, I can tell you what I'm doing as soon as we get to Tea-ville, or whatever it is."

"Kettleville. But nice try."

"Whatever. I'm going fishing."

I laughed. "Mal Fallon fishes? I knew thought…"

He sent a flirty smile. "No. Luke Farrell fishes."

I mentally smacked myself in the forehead, feeling dumb. If anybody was going to slip up here, it would be me. But for the time being, I tried to think as positively as possible.

Less than another two hours later, we arrived in the village of Kettleville. I call it a village, because by no means was it a town. The population was less than three-hundred. And as far as businesses go, there was maybe a total of ten. There was one gas station, one grocery store, two restaurants, and the rest were bait and tackle shops. Which would be good for Mal… I mean, Luke.

"Luke, we aren't in Kansas anymore."

Mal smiled at me and let his arm rest across my shoulders. We departed from the plane and were transferred to a different building. Frank was still there, and continued to explain boring, monotonous things to us. Mostly about how vital it was that we remained in character.

In fact, twenty minutes before we landed, he made sure we changed out of our law enforcement uniforms and into more casual attire. Mal changed into a flannel shirt and torn jeans. I switched into a light, navy blue sweater and a heavier jacket on top. Blue jeans went with it.

The weather was freezing, because after all, it was April and it was in Southern Alaska.

I wasn't used to it. But Mal didn't seem to mind.

He wasn't even shivering. But I couldn't even speak, I was so cold.

Frank brought us into what appeared to be a shack. The walls were wooden and tacky, but cute, decorations hung up all over the walls. Frank approached the desk, where a younger woman was. While they were speaking, I leaned into Mal, begging for some warmth. Sure, the building was warmer than outside, but not by much. "T-This t-town b-better have some sp-space heaters…"

A smile tugged at Mal's lips. "If need be, I can drive to the store tonight and get us some blankets. I can't let my wife get hypothermia."

_Wife…_

I froze in my tracks. Not because of how cold it was. Mal's arms circled me and pulled me in, probably to keep me warm. But suddenly, I felt uncomfortable. I backed far away and shifted my attention elsewhere. I pretended I was fine.

Frank stepped back over and slipped a set of keys into Mal's hand.

"Alright, Vanessa… you two are all set."

I gazed off into the distance, thinking about everything that happened with Oscar earlier. The memory stung, only because it really happened. And after all of this was over, I was going to have to think of some way to explain to him this entire thing. He was going to be mad. And who knew? Maybe it wouldn't even change anything?

I never knew how insecure he was about Mal, but then again, why was Mal here with me? Shawn was the same way. About the same person.

"Natara!" A sharp whisper echoed into my right ear. And warmth radiated around my fingers as Mal slightly gripped them.

I snapped back into reality as Frank continued. He shot us a wary look. "Alright, let's get out of here."

Out into the arctic again, Frank continued, "The address is programmed into the GPS in the truck. I will be in touch later… remember your stories. And if you slip up, anywhere, you need to let me know."

We nodded. "Lastly, for the first few days, some cash has been provided by the agency. About five-hundred. No debit, credit, or personal checks can be used. They can be traced back to you. And also, I need your cell phones… and your laptops, pagers, iPads, iPods… every communication device."

Mal and myself frowned in unison. After emptying all compartments in our luggage and surrendering everything as he asked, he said one last thing. "Remember, any mistakes the two of you make could be detrimental. Tell me everything. I will be in touch later on. My number is programmed on the home phone there. The only two numbers you can dial on the phone are emergency services and my number."

The two of us sighed, thinking of how horrible this was going to be.

Or would it?

The agency provided us with a large GMC truck. Mal and I fought about who was going to drive for like ten minutes. Eventually we decided it would be better if he did only because of where we were, and that we wanted to blend in, my husband should be driving me.

First, we went to the house.

As I sort of expected, it was a tiny, log cabin surrounded only by the dense pine trees. It backed up to a forest and was across from a very large lake. I assumed the lake was a large economic support for the town, due to all the fishing shops we spotted on our way to it.

Mal carried our bags in, as the man should, and I decided to explore the cabin. The kitchen and living area were combined. A small area, but filled with all the necessities. To my surprise, there was even a junky old television across from the couch. But my biggest question was the sleeping arrangements. As luck would have it, there was only one bedroom and one bed.

"Perfect…" I whispered sarcastically.

Mal snuck up behind me. "Don't sound so enthused. Don't worry, dear, I planned on sleeping on the sofa. At least for tonight. The bed is yours."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

After everything was situated, Mal and I began to describe our game plan. "I'm going into town," Mal began, "We need some blankets, evidently. Some warmer clothes, maybe, too. And we have no food."

Thank god Mal was there with me, or else I would have probably forgot how cold it was going to be. I simply wasn't used to it.

Looking around the small cabin, I noticed some vital things missing. "We have no coffee machine…"

He nodded. "I'll do my best. Anything else?"

"…Pay as you go phone? I really should _at least_ call my parents and…"

Mal moved closer to me suddenly, wrapping his fingers lightly around my wrists. Something about it was just soothing. Just being near him. "_Natara…" _He whispered so softly, assuring nobody would hear us, "I know this is weird. Probably not the weirdest thing we've been put through, but close, not to mention… nobody knows we're here. But still, we need to follow the rules. Remember the last time that Shawn was awake and living? Breathing? Wasn't good."

I remembered it too well. And I didn't want to.

"Plus, he just awoke from a coma. Who knows how he is now? As horrible as this situation is, I think it's our only option."

My eyes caught the floor, fixated on the wooden panels. Which had actually became blurry. "It won't be that horrible. I'm here. I'm about to give Oscar some serious husband competition…" He muttered the rest with a smile on his lips.

I laughed. "I bet."

He walked towards the front door, and turned back around. "Umm… do you want to just come with me? I feel like leaving you here alone isn't good right now."

"I'm going to be fine, Mal. I promise."

He looked skeptical. "It's not _you_ that I'm worried about."

"Luke, I evidently need to practice my whole homemaker, small-town, wife role. I'm not great at it."

He laughed one last time before leaving. "Full-time homemaker… couldn't see it. Small-town, definitely not. Wife.. I'll be the judge." He winked.

A sharp chill went down my spine and I watched Mal leave. Locking the door behind him, my first move was to simply breathe.

I was in for a hell of a time.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Words- Chapter Five- To Keep Me Warm When I'm Cold…**_

_(SEVERE MALTARA ALERT!)_

_Kettleville, Alaska, USA_

_**Mal Fallon's POV**_

The store was only open until nine, so I didn't have time to grab everything we needed. And to be honest, I didn't want to leave Natara alone for any period of time. But she sort of insisted.

A part of me felt guilty right now.

I felt like Natara was blaming herself for everything with Oscar. And as much as I wondered how that went earlier, when she went to collect her things, I never asked. Her tears explained everything. But as far as I was concerned, I wasn't going to try anything.

Sure, now might have been my only chance. But I wasn't the type to take advantage when a woman was vulnerable. And I especially couldn't do this to Natara. I _love_ Natara.

I was only at the store for a little under fifteen minutes before I headed out and back home.

And that was very weird to say.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Natara had changed her clothes.

She wore only a pair of panties and a long-sleeve t-shirt. I guess she figured I wouldn't care. After all, we were supposed to be married. What husband would care about something like that? "Honey, I'm home!" I shouted cheerily.

She glared at me. "Can it, sweetie. Check it out."

The news was blaring. _San Francisco's star officers have been missing for a solid twenty-four hours. The last person who's seen them is disgruntled ex-fiance of Special Agent Natara Williams, who is the city's D.A Oscar Santos. A prior interview with the attorney suggests that things didn't end well, and that there was a romantic relationship present between Miss Williams and her partner, Police Detective Mal Fallon. Officers are currently searching for leads on their whereabouts._

The television quickly snapped off. I realized Natara had done it, and I studied her carefully.

I wished sometimes that I didn't know her thoughts to a tee. I knew she turned it off because she was having heavy doubts about it. I knew that the word _ex-fiance _hit her like a knife. I also knew that the words _romantic relationship _combined with _police detective Mal Fallon_ made her feel incredibly awkward.

"I really hope nobody in town sees this and recognizes us…" She commented.

I shook my head. "Sweetie, nobody in this town even has a television. Just… relax. Let's try bed right now. Eh?"

She agreed. Hearing her stomach growl, I also whipped up a quick dinner. We ate fast. I think because we were both just exhausted.

After her and I cleaned up, I mumbled. "Please, Vanessa, put some pants on already."

She giggled and decided to be rebellious, "Nah. But I'll take a blanket."

She took two and disappeared into the bedroom. Leaving me stranded in the darkness of the living room.

I shed myself of my t-shirt and remained in only my boxers. I clicked the television back on and watched the news. _Murderer and deranged psychopath, Shawn Mallory, also an ex-federal agent, has awaken from his coma. Presently, his whereabouts are unknown._

Wonderful.

I wasn't cold, surprisingly. Trying to sleep, though, is what I struggled with. The clock said one, and then it said two. And then two-thirty.

I kept waiting to hear soft snores coming from the bedroom, but I didn't.

The clock hit three.

The door to the bedroom creaked open, and instantly, my attention diverted to it.

I dunno why I expected someone besides Natara, I guess I was just on edge. But she was the only one I saw. Just as I had earlier. But this Natara looked a little sad. A little tired. A little cold.

She trudged on the wooden floor, the steps making small noises as she made her way towards me. "Mal… are you still awake, too?"

I smiled at her, "No. Out like a light."

She giggled and plopped down on the tiny space in front of me on the sofa. "I'm freezing. And I can't sleep."

I sighed, "What are you suggesting?"

She shrugged, her eyes wandering in a circle. Those pink lips pushed out, trying to form an innocent, absent-minded expression. Sometimes, she just looked so adorable. Despite the tough exterior that she tried to put on. "Ummm… Well… you don't have to sleep out here… in case you're having the same problems… I don't know."

My nerves were on fire. Only because she couldn't find those words. She didn't want to just ask me to come sleep with her. That would be admitting a weakness. She simply couldn't do it. And it made me smile a little. "You want me to come sleep in there?" I simply asked.

She paused for a moment and looked away. Then she nodded sharply.

"I told you to put pants on. Remember that?" I added

"Vaguely. I don't like to sleep with clothes on though."

I sighed sarcastically. "Darn it. What's a guy to do?"

I clicked the television off and followed her into the bedroom.

You would have imagined it to be awkward, but it wasn't. I climbed into the bed with her as if it were nothing. At first she cuddled up in about five different blankets, but then I surprised her.

I slipped my arm around her and pulled her close. Acting like I wasn't nerved by this was difficult. It was Natara. I had feelings for her, and she had to have known it. And her asking me to come sleep in bed with her seemed so out of character.

Objection was what I expected. But I didn't get any. "I'm glad I have a husband that's there for me… to keep me warm when I'm cold…" She murmured, snuggling deeper into me.

"I know, I'm amazing."

"Lucas Farrell…" She began, "Yes, you are."

A part of me couldn't believe what was happening. It was just Natara and I. Alone. No interruptions. I wondered seriously if I should tell her now. How I felt, that is. She was soft-hearted right now. She was intimate with me. Maybe we could finally call ourselves a couple.

However, at the same time, what her and I had was much deeper than a label. In my opinion. Whether we ended up dating ever, or remained friends forever, moments like this were irreplaceable.

But I thought I'd try. "Hey…"

Silence.

"Natara…?"

Nothing still.

Except for a light snore.

Awesome…

I fell asleep shortly after.

_The Next Morning- 10:30 a.m- Natara's POV_

_Kettleville, Alaska_

Something- probably that Alaska sun- stirred me. It bled through the window and peeled my eyes right on open.

Something I didn't recognize, though, was an overwhelming, encompassing warmth radiating at all sides of me. I didn't ever want to be apart from it.

"_Ugh… I don't want to wake up.."_ I thought I muttered to myself.

Too bad I wasn't alone.

"Then don't" A deep whisper tickled my ear.

I recognized the soothing voice.

"Mal… good morning. When did you get here?"

"A while ago. Try three in the morning-ish."

I vaguely remembered waking up Mal, basically giving up on the idea of sleeping alone. And sure- I felt extremely guilty for it. But nobody would ever know. Besides, it felt _good_ to have that attention. Oscar and I stopped cuddling a while ago. But last night was perfect. Having a man hold me all night was something I could get used to. It was hopefully going to be a perk of these next few days. "Really? I'm sorry…"

He chuckled. "Sorry? Don't be… The couch was way uncomfortable anyways."

To my surprise, his arms hugged me tighter.

"Besides, you aren't the worst person to cuddle with, Agent."

I should have slapped him for breaking character. But I didn't. I couldn't. The moment was too perfect. I turned my face so it was buried in his chest. "Can we sleep more?"

"You read my mind."

I giggled. "Who wants to close the blinds…"

I quickly put a finger to the tip of my nose and shouted "NOSE GOES!" Mal was about a quarter of a second behind me. And he paid for it.

He pulled himself up and when he did, I realized how amazing he looked- basically in only his boxers.

I shivered again as soon as he left me. The intense snuggling resumed shortly after that. And I felt my body begin to relax again, falling into a deep slumber.

Until Mal jolted up.

Pissed off, so did I. "What the hell? I'm so tired and…"

His blue eyes locked with mine. "I just heard a noise…"

I froze, and defensively opened my ears.

Footsteps. Footsteps getting etched into the snow, outside of our window.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Words- Chapter Five- Missing**_

_San Francisco, CA_

_Blaise Corso's POV_

I walked into the precinct with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. But I couldn't put a finger on it.

I greeted many faces. The first, was Jeremy Redbird. He was always the first to greet me. "Morning, Rook."

He scowled. "Of course. But hey… uh… listen, did you happen to find something in your apartment last night?"

I thought back to last night's events. Jeremy and I went out for some drinks. A few too many. Stumbled back to my apartment. Things happened… And, here I am. "No… should I have found something?"

"Just my heart."

I shot him a solid glare. Stemming from deep within my irises. I could see that it burned him. He wasn't joking. And I knew that. "Jeremy… stop it."

He sighed. "Whatever. See ya later, Blaiseygator."

Oh my… Jeremy did _not _just become Kai.

Walking to my desk, I noticed a strange atmosphere in the place. The place was near deserted. Instantly, I reported to the Captain's office.

"Captain… what on earth.. This place is officially a ghost town."

Anders nods and gestures to take a seat. This makes me worried. He hates me, normally. "I.. erm.. I take it you haven't heard the news, then?"

I shook my head. "No… should I have? What's going on?"

He was silent for a minute.

"He did something stupid, didn't he?"

A part of me wondered if this had to do with Jeremy. After everything him and I did.. Behind closed doors, sexual harassment claims was the least that I had to worry about. "What are you talking about?"

"Jeremy…"

The captain shook his head. "Look Blaise, everybody here knows about you two. You and Jeremy, I mean. We have for a while. And it's obvious. But your jobs are safe for the time being, besides bigger things are on our plate."

I was astonished.

"Mal and Natara are missing."

_(POV: Oscar Santos)_

_San Francisco Police Department Headquarters_

Wandering into the old apartment was just strange, considering that regrettably, there wasn't a tan, brunette woman greeting me any longer upon entrance. And with her being gone, I constantly worried about her. Even though she wasn't mine any longer, I still loved her.

I took a deep sigh in and released it.

Was it real?

Maybe I had imagined it.

It would have been easier.

I guess my only hypothesis was that maybe they went rogue, ran away together, changed their names. Bonnie and Clyde Fallon…

I shook that thought away and tried to figure out what I could do next.

I was no detective, but I dated a profiler. I had picked up something from that. Besides, I owed it to her. If she was really in trouble, I couldn't sit around and wait for the police department to gather evidence and all of that. I needed to find her.

For her.

If I ever stood a chance of getting her back.

My feet slowly grazed the carpet as I strode across the empty space. The lease was over in two weeks. After the honeymoon, we were getting our first home together. But now, since the wedding clearly wasn't happening, I decided it best that I move in with my sister, for now. Being there was just too much. The air was haunting.

As I began to pack up more dishes, a sharp knock sounded on the door.

Confused, I made my way back over to the door. "Hello?" I asked before even glancing through the peephole.

"Oscar, it's Blaise. Can you open up a second?"

That was just weird. Blaise and I never really spoke. Ever. In fact, I was sort of under the impression that she possessed some deep-seated hatred for me.

However, without hesitation, I opened the door. "Hey Blaise."

"Hey… "

Silence filled the air. I was about to ask what brought her over, but she spoke again.

"… I need to ask you some questions."

_Mal's POV_

_Kettleville, Alaska_

"That sounds like…" She whispered, peeking her head up to see out the window.

Immediately, I dragged her back down. Our faces only inches apart._ "Stay down!" _His voice was only at a whisper, but it boomed through my ear. He was serious. You could tell.

The footsteps continued. Mal's heartbeat was insane. Or who knows? It was probably mine.

"What do we do?"

Unbelievably, Mal shrugged. "How bad is it that I'm not sure?"

I ignored that momentarily and thought. And listened. The footsteps were only becoming louder and louder…

Closer and closer.

And then.

A knock at the front door.

"I'm going to answer the door…" Mal began. "Go to the bathroom. Lock yourself in there."

Mal fished around in his luggage slowly. And pulled out his pistol. "Take this with you."

I gasped. "Mal, how did you get that-"

"We'll talk about that later."

Mal disappeared down the narrow hall and out of sight. I scrambled out of my bed and to the bathroom, as he ordered. I felt funny about it, meaning to object, but not having the time, I really wanted to know who was creeping around our cabin.

And I heard a voice. "You." Mal spoke, and I felt my bones tense.

**SORRY. Cliffhanger a little longer, readers! Don't worry. I know I interrupted the Maltara but.. There's more to come!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Alright. This chapter is going to be LONG. That's what I'm telling myself anywaysssss. I plan for at least 3,000 words. My ideas are rolling right now! Please review and next time, I'm going to try to acknowledge each one individually! I feel it's incredibly rude of me not to, after reading all the other stories on here… everyone else replies to each one.**

**Anyways, enjoy! And tell me what you think**

_Detective Blaise Corso- San Francisco, CA- The apartment of Oscar Santos_

"Well, I'm going to assume that I'll be targeted for the blame. And if that's the case, what's the point of me fighting it? I look guilty."

As Oscar uttered those words, I couldn't help but feel horrible. Naturally, he was right. Everybody was going to look at him as the main suspect. But being a Detective, I knew better. Something was up. And I was bound and determined to figure out what was really going on.

"Oscar, Shawn Mallory is missing as well, doesn't that strike you as strangely odd?"

He paused, fiddling with some silverware on his counter. "Of course. I mean, that is… if I believed him to be a suspect."

"And why don't you?"

"Because, Detective, he's tried and tried at killing Natara. Interrupting her relationships with others to hurt her. Because he wants her to know how he feels. He's given up. If he's going to come after anybody, it would be Mal or myself. But her.. Not her. He's given up on her."

I sighed. "That's some… brilliant thinking, Santos. But do you want to know what I think?"

He waited.

"I think that she left. To keep you apart from harm. And to keep Mal apart from harm. But knowing Mal…"

"He went after her?"

I nodded.

"So then, what do we do?" He stopped packing momentarily and focused on the conversation at hand.

"Nothing. What can we do? Mal's not very much of a pushover. He's stubborn. And he'd go to the ends of the earth for her…"

Oscar's face stiffened. "I would have done it, too, you know."

I remembered the days when Mal and I were as close as Mal and Natara. We did nearly everything together, shared all of our deep dark secrets, and had that same awkward chemistry and him and Natara had… at one time. Nowadays, my sights were elsewhere.

It was silent for a minute. Oscar spoke to me softly. "We're alike, you know. Natara used to talk to me about you and Mal. What you guys have. Well, I guess she didn't know it ended. But… nevertheless, I went through it, too. I just did."

"_HAHA._ Fallon and I are so old school it isn't funny. Plus, I've moved on."

The awkward silence ate away at us again. I made my way towards his front door. But his warm hands gripped my wrist lightly. "Hey…"

My heart began to race a little. His voice was overpowering, despite how he was only delicately whispering.

"… If you need any help on this, you know where to find me."

_Detective Mal Fallon- Kettleville, AK- The Farrell Cabin_

"You… You terrified us. We thought you were… someone else."

Frank stepped through the doorway, bearing donuts and coffee. I smiled, just catching the whiff of the coffee. I called out. "Honey, it's just Frank."

Something told me that after this entire mess was over, I wouldn't want to ever break from my character.

Natara peeked out from the bathroom, attempting to look calm and collected She wasn't though. How could she be? She thought it was Shawn Mallory. How she hasn't broken down about it yet, I didn't know. Of course, an instant smile appeared on her beautiful face when she saw the donut box. "Krispy Kremes… Frank, I like you." She commented.

He laughed and urged us to sit around the living room. He spoke in a very matter of fact tone. "Luke, Vanessa. I have some… unfortunate news."

We waited, mowing down on the donuts was a momentary distraction. I figured it was something minimal. That we needed to be hidden for a longer time, or something to that effect. But I was way off.

"Basically, the feds have determined that Alaska isn't a safe place for the two of you. Not because of anything you two did… in fact, it appears that the two of you have done a terrific job adapting."

I blushed, but tried to disguise it. When he was walking around the backyard, he probably noticed us in the bed. After all, the bedroom did contain two pretty large windows. But actually, maybe he wasn't referring to that, just to the simple notice that Natara was squeezing the life out of my hand.

"Basically, a trace on Shawn Mallory has been conducted. He was spotted in West Canada last night. Naturally, we're relocating the both of you someplace else. Someplace much further."

The fear was eating away at Natara. After Shawn's terrorist plot, no wonder she'd be completely mortified. "Where exactly are we going?"

I kept speaking while Natara looked as if she'd seen a ghost. "Unfortunately, I won't be relocating with you. I live in Anchorage. And in your next town, it will be someone completely different monitoring you. However, I will be driving the two of you to the airport in about… one hour. I'm afraid we can't afford any more time than that. I'll see you then."

With that, Frank disappeared out the door and I stood in shock, watching Natara run up to it and lock it behind him.

After that, she sprinted into our bedroom and began to throw her clothes into her suitcase. Literally. Her breath was more like a heavy hyperventilating as she remained focused on the task. Not knowing what to do, I panicked, too. I had never seen Natara so afraid. She was always so strong. I simply stood in the doorway.

She ran back and forth for about ten minutes until she locked eyes with me, out of breath. Before I could ask a question, or say something soothing to her, she completely broke down. Tears welled up in her stunning sparkling Jade eyes. And when it came down to it, I couldn't do it.

I couldn't ever. Ever. See her cry.

I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her. Her soft sobs were muffled by my chest as I felt her hot tears run down onto my stomach. I laced my fingers in her hair and ran my hand through it. "I know what you feel like."

She was silent at first.

"You want to be strong. You always do. But now, You don't need to be. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You have to believe me, Nat."

"I'm not scared, Mal. I'm not scared at all. It's you that I'm worried about."

I paused stroking her hair for a moment and began to rub her back delicately. But I didn't move her out of my arms. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if she wanted to stay there all day. All night. All month. Or all year. For the rest of my life.

"Don't worry about me. Despite Shawn's attempts at my life, it's all worth it."

"What do you mean? He's crazy."

"Yeah, but I mean… for you… I'd do anything. Yeah, it's dangerous. But I'd do anything, Natara. For you. Just to have you in my life."

I felt her begin to shiver a little. So I held her tighter. "I- I love you. I mean, as a friend! As my best friend, I love you. And for the record, I'm beyond thankful that I met you."

I wasn't sure what to say. Maybe this was the moment. The moment to tell her how I really felt. I should have said: _Natara. I love you. I love you beyond belief. I'm in love with you. Marry me?_

But what I really said: "Of course. You have to know that I love you. As my best friend."

The moment was beautiful. Despite the situation. It was just beautiful. And I didn't want it to end. But unfortunately, she pulled away. "Mal, I'm so lucky I have a man like you in my life."

_Special Agent Natara Williams- Anchorage, AK- Anchorage Airport_

Yeah, I was still pretty on edge. It was hard not to be.

And I had Mal by my side, thankfully. But I knew that no matter where the feds sent us, we weren't going to be safe.

I fiddled through my pocket and gripped the note. The note I found in the pocket of my luggage earlier this morning. The one that was like the one before- like a fortune cookie. And the ones that I had been getting but I never told Mal. How could I? And have him be worried any more? That would be horrible of me. It was better kept a secret. Reading the note made me cringe, every letter made my blood burn.

And my eyes hurt.

_Unloved_

Pretending I wasn't receiving notes from somebody random was hard. Deciphering it was even harder. I knew it must have been there for at least a day, seeing as it wasn't planted in there when I was in Alaska, right? To my knowledge, nobody could have broken in. So I ruled it out almost immediately. The only other person it could have been was Oscar. He was the only other person who had access to my things.

All I could do, momentarily, was pretend it wasn't happening. I wanted to tell Mal. I really did. But I was torn up between making him worry more, but feeling safer, or simply not telling him, and him not having to worry, but me still feeling unsafe.

I, naturally, went with the latter.

On the flight to someplace unknown, I woke up Mal.

"Mal.. I'm sorry. I know you're exhausted. So am I, but I have a question?"

It took him a moment to stir fully. Normally, he was a pretty light sleeper. But being that he was so tired, it took a minute. After stretching his arms and yawning a minute, he replied. "Yes, Nat?"

"What are our names?"

He gazed off skeptically. "That's… a thoughtful question. An even better one, where are we going?"

We were on the same private jet as before, and heading to some destination unknown. Although, to be honest, it felt like we had been traveling all day. And I also hadn't seen much besides what looked like vast plains and mountains below us. I assumed that since the mountains were starting to become much more flat, we were traveled East. "I've been trying to figure that out…"

He smiled at me, and again, as always. I melted inside. His eyes were mesmerizing. "Keep thinking, honey. I'm going back to bed."

I sighed. "Mal, our identities are changing. I don't think we're still married."

Again, he smiled. "I know."

His eyelids slowly drooped down and glued together. His breathing evened out.

"What do you think they're saying back at work?"

I looked at him again, realizing that he was, in fact, already sleeping. I couldn't help but giggle.

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- San Francisco, CA- The Drunk Tank_

When she asked me to meet her here, thousands of questions perked up into my head. Usually, she was just horny or something. But I knew that with everything going on with Mal and Agent Williams going missing, she wasn't even thinking about sex. She just wanted to talk. Maybe. Or maybe I was going to be her release. Again.

As she walked up, I was stunned by her beauty as always. How could I not be? Her blue eyes burnt holes through me and despite her rugged exterior, I thought she was beautiful. I always had. "Hey babe, you look… amazing. As always."

She shook her head and sat in the barstool next to me. "Right…. Listen, I need to talk to you. About… two things."

Confused, I waited. "First of all, the Captain spoke to me today. He knows…"

I froze, hoping this wouldn't happen. I mean, I knew it was happening but I didn't want to face it. I tried to contain the rumor. However, it spread like a virus.

_**One week ago- San Francisco, CA- The SFPD Headquarters**_

_Frustrated with the mountain of paperwork conquering my desktop, I escaped my stresses momentarily._

_There she was. Her wavy blonde hair was out of a ponytail today, and that was probably because she did that when she was stressed out. Blaise, she never got stressed. Really. I wanted to comfort her. But our secret relations were just that- a secret._

_Suddenly, a heavy weight landed on my shoulder. "You know… I can help you get there."_

_I turned around and saw Mal Fallon, with his hand rested on my shoulder. He was much older than me, but more experienced with dealing with Detective Corso. "What do you mean?"_

"_With her. I see how you look at her."_

_Immediately, I just had to turn it around. "Yeah? What about you, huh? Agent Hottie?"_

_He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "She's married, Redbird. Blaise… she's single. This is your chance. And I'm sure that if push came to shove, she'd let you take her out to an actual dinner."_

_He was wrong. Maybe he didn't know Blaise. "I've tried. And tried. And tried."_

"_So this is it, then? You're going to admit it finally? You guys' relationship?"_

"_What else can I do? I mean, I can't say it isn't distracting. It's horribly annoying to think that all I think about is her but I haven't crossed her mind once all day, probably."_

"_Don't speak so soon. She's just… confused. Maybe that's it. And maybe all you need to do is speak to her. Talk to her. Get to know her."_

_If only he knew. I knew Blaise._

"_Fallon, if I tell you something, can you keep a secret?"_

_He leaned in close, and I brought my voice to even lower than a whisper. "Blaise and I, we're friends…with some benefits."_

_The expression on his face was unreadable. I knew he might be a little angry. No matter how much he loved Natara, and everyone knew it, she was still his Blaise. They were good friends and went to college together. And I thought that maybe, I might get punched._

_But he didn't do anything. "Um…For how long?"_

"_A few months. Don't say anything? You swear?"_

_Mal shrugged. "It wouldn't do me any favors to say anything to anyone. I just recommend that you act on this… before you know, it's too late."_

_I sighed. Fallon knew all about 'too late'._

_Looking around, to assure the secrecy of our conversation. My eyes locked with the most terrifying thing I'd seen. Kai Kalaba overhearing gossip._

"_Oh my… Redbird and Byoootiful Blaise? Oh my! I mean, I expected Maligator and Agent boom bottie, but you two? Oh my! I. must. Tell. World!" _

_Kai moved like a robot, probably to illustrate the robot image. But honestly, I didn't care. I yelled after him as he began to head back into the bullpen. So did Mal. "Kai. Kai. KAI! Get back here! You cannot tell a soul! Do you understand. I will __give __you my Sims 3 Deluxe Edition…please. Don't say anything…"_

_Kai waited. Contemplating. "Will you throw in your cheat code guide? With the specific codes for each moment of the game?!"_

_Jeremy winced. "Yes! Just don't tell anybody."_

_He agreed, and I brought my game to him the next day, with the cheat code guide. But you know what? He didn't keep his promise. Why?_

"_We didn't shake on it! Sorry… I hope you understand the rules of this sorta stuff. I only told Officer Willis! And Agent Williams… and Burtaugh… and…Amy."_

_He named the entire precinct. And apparently, Blaise still was just now finding out._

"Blaise…" I began, and wrapped my hand in hers. She flinched. But she didn't move. "I'm sorry. But that's what happened."

She shook her head. Her teeth flashed an awkward smile and she even squeezed my hand back. "I… umm… well. I'm not sure how to say the second part of this. I just- well, you know… don't think that we should get involved any further."

"I know that. But I think that if you gave me a chance, I could prove to you that I'm not only an amazing secret lover… but an amazing boyfriend."

Her expressions softened. I could tell she was searching for words.

"You don't get it… I want to call it off. Call everything off."

"W-What?"

"Jeremy…" She began. And for the last time, her eyes killed mine. "I'm so sorry. There's somebody else."

**Review Replies from last chapter:**

**Tori: **Hahahaha. Poor Jeremy. Although I do think my heart has a soft spot for Kai. If he were real, I'd party with him. And yes, I do love cliffhangers. I utilize them in every story.

**Molly: **I always do that! I think I switch and get really excited about what I'm writing and then forget to write the POV switch in. Even though I proofread everything like threee times…. Grrrrr! I just know that when I wrote last chapter, I was sooooo tired. But thanks!

**Lisa: **I love Maltara as much as the next person, but yeah… you know.. Since Shawn's not dead and everything he needs some love too… so to speak. Thanks for the support though! You're awesome!

**NiekaWow: **Thanks so much! I know… cliffhangers are always gonna be there. Haha. that's why I always try to update ASAP because cliffhangers drive me crazzzzzyyy lol both good crazy and bad crazy. They make stories good, but they sure can be annoying.

**Jade: **Thanks so much! I really appreciate the positive feedback J


	9. Chapter 8

_**Words- Chapter Eight- Helpless**_

_Special Agent Natara Williams' POV_

The plane was taking us somewhere. And as much as I cursed at myself to get some rest, like Mal was, I couldn't. Thoughts were running rampant about an abundance of things. Like yesterday. At the cabin in Alaska.

"_I love you, Mal. You know… like a best friend." I mentally smacked myself for adding those last sentence on there. _

"_You should know, I love you, too. Like a best friend."_

I sighed.

Mal didn't have a clue. He didn't know how much I really cared about him. By the time this was over, I knew I had to say something. I just didn't know how.

Despite that I didn't intend on leaving Oscar, he had probably given up. Besides, my thoughts were shifting towards something else.

Or someone.

_Detective Blaise Corso- SFPD Headquarters_

"Alright everyone, we need to do one more proper evidence review before we can call it a night. We owe these two at the very least, that much."

Fifteen pairs of eyes- or more- watched me as I stood at the front of the group in the bullpen. Gathering evidence for this case had been hellish. And as hard as Anders had tried to pull us all off, saying we were simply too close. He realized we weren't giving up. However, he demanded that we can only investigate during our breaks or after and before our shifts.

"We haven't located their phones. And of course, because our luck is so wonderful here in San Francisco, the assholes at Verizon or Sprint or what the shit ever will not release any information to us regarding the last text messages or calls exchanged. Since they aren't minors. And inevitably, that leads us to go one route…"

Everyone waited.

"I want teamwork, people! I want two teams. Detective Fallon and Special Agent Williams may or may not be together, guys. Well, we think they're probably together. But who knows? If this has anything to do with Shawn Mallory, they're nowhere near each other. So here's what we're doing next…"

"Team one, led by me, we're going to find Mal. On my team I want Officer Willis, Officer Hendricks, Officer Scott, Junior Detective Smith, Officer Young and Officer Holt. On the other team, I want you to focus on Natara. Led by Detective Redbird. On it is everybody else. And Kai…"

My eyes narrowed, singling him out as he fumbled the slinky in his hands around, inevitably dropping it. "… Be good!"

I began to return to my desk, packing up everything. As I did, my phone rang. "Hi. Can't talk now. At work. I'll be over in ten."

I hung it up quickly, spotting Jeremy slipping around the corner and towards the door. I sighed, remembering last night's events.

"_It's someone else…" I finished._

_I guess that I expected for a spontaneous combustion from him. Maybe for him to just blow up in my face. To scream at me about how he felt, and that I only used him. Because he was young. And because he was vulnerable. "Of course it is." was his only reply._

_His dark eyes glimmered underneath the dim lights in the bar. No matter how I tried to deny it, I felt awful. I couldn't take it, so I stood up, heading towards the door._

_But he stopped me. "Just tell me who. And I will never speak to you ever again… erm… outside of work, that is."_

_I sighed, turning around shyly. "It's someone… we all know."_

And that was all I said.

I made my way through downtown San Francisco and towards a particularly upscale building. I kept my sunglasses on as I moved my way up three flights of stairs, avoiding the elevators, to assure I wouldn't be seen.

Hesitantly, I knocked on the door to the apartment that read _23B_.

A low, hoarse voice greeted me. "There you are, Detective. Ready?."

_Detective Mal Fallon- Hope, ME- Some SUV_

"The town is called Hope. Ironic, I know. But you'll find it isn't as small as the last place they sent you. But it also isn't very populated. Where you are now, you will be safe." I watched Natara shake her head next to me. She was still scared, but I hoped that I could change that.

Natara sighed and continued speaking to our new coach, so to speak. His name was Eric, and he was just weird. I didn't like him. Neither did Natara. But… she didn't like anybody right now. "What's our identities?"

Eric seemed a hell of a lot like Frank, but a lot more talkative. He made horrible jokes. And he kept hitting on Natara. And it pissed me off. Not only was he much older than she, but he pretty much had Kai's personality. "You, pretty lady, are Jenna Holton. And again, you're her husband, Matthew."

This time, I was worried about slipping up and calling her Vanessa. It was going to get really confusing soon. "Eric, can I maybe just call her Natalie? That's close enough to her actual name that I won't forget and-"

He interrupted while shaking his head. He was driving us over a large, tall bridge. I saw Natara shiver a little. She hated heights. "No. You need to stay in character with the names the agency has provided. I understand how hard it is. But if you practice, you'll be fine. Just try to stay alert and don't get distracted, alright?"

Natara tugged at my jacket and whisper extremely quietly into my ear. "Can we toss him over the bridge?"

I looked at her with disapproval and shook my head. But I still wanted to laugh.

After another half hour, we arrived in the outskirts of Hope, Maine. And no, I hadn't ever been to Maine. And I didn't know what to expect. My eyes fixated on familiar things- such as the waves pounding the innocent shore, people wandering around the downtown area, and the many tiny coffee shops scattered around.

However, it was also very unfamiliar at the same time. Something about the sky was much more open and inviting than San Francisco. When I looked up, I felt like I was being consumed by a large, blue abyss. It was like an ocean. But at night- when the stars came out- it must have been amazing.

The car pulled up to a tiny home situated right aside the ocean. As much as this was stressful, maybe I could try to think positive and make it into a vacation.

Eric helped up bring our luggage inside the already furnished home and gestured that we sit down at the kitchen table. "Jenna, I hate to make you a homemaker again, but it just makes sense to the people in these small towns. And Matt, you're an attorney."

An attorney? Wonderful. I get to be Oscar. "Great. But um- I have a question." Natara muttered.

"What do we do? I mean, sure, we go about our normal lives and all that. But… Since he's clearly looking for us, and last time, simply changing our names and occupations didn't work…"

"I realize your fear and hesitation, Miss. But we're doing the best we can. I'm not sure how he found you in Alaska. But regardless, the feds are on the brink of locating him. Since we're assuming he'll come right here, they can catch him when he breaks the international border."

"But what if he doesn't go through Canada?" I asked.

Eric shrugged and began to start a pot of coffee. I watched a thin smile form on Natara's face. "Then… we'll have a harder time. But right now, what I do know is that nationwide, the feds have undercover agents searching high and low from San Francisco to Alaska to Maine, here. But if he's as smart as he pretends to be, then he's in Canada. The FBI has no jurisdiction there."

And as much as it pained us, he was right.

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- San Francisco, CA- His studio apartment_

I jolted awake when I realized what I was missing this entire time. The one thing that I had forgotten about Mal.

And the thing I needed to call Blaise immediately, and tell her about.

My fingers danced along my phone's keyboard, forgetting about how she 'broke up' with me.

Instead, I simply dialed her number, which I knew my heart. And I hit dial. I didn't think about it.

After three rings, it went to voicemail.

And after two, the second time I called, it went to voicemail.

I sighed, and left a message. "Blaise, I need to talk to you right now! It's about the case. Look, I'm coming over to your apartment… Please be there. It's important! It's about Mal!"

I began sprinting down the streets of San Francisco, in the middle of the goddamn night, trying to make it to her apartment within less than five minutes. This couldn't wait five minutes. This information couldn't wait one minute.

After sprinting across town in what felt like ten minutes or less, I knocked on her apartment door.

I waited.

And waited.

"Blaise, open up!"

I kept wailing on that door until her neighbors came out, "Excuse me, I don't know where your little girlfriend is. But the two of you made enough noise last night! So if you don't mind, let her neighbors get some sleep! Some of us have work in the morning!"

I froze. "W-Wait, I'm sorry, last night?"

She nodded.

I pivoted on my heels and sprinted back in the other direction. "Thanks!" I called out to her.

I didn't know what I was going to do when I got there. But I did know where to go. And I did know, definitely, who was going to be with her.

**Review Replies:**

**NiekaWow: **I knowwwwww I sorry I sorry.

**Lisa: **Who do you think the other person is? Im curious to know! I really wanted to shock my readers so let me know so I can configure my story haha

**Jade:** Don't worry. There will be plenty of Maltara in this story. I promise! Tell me who you think the other guy is! Im curious to know what the readers think!

**Maltararox21:** WOWWWWWW THANKS SO MUCH! I like that you like my story! And thanks! I love being a maltara magician! Seriously, thank you!

**Tori: **Who do you think it is? At this point, it may be obvious. But I really wanted to make it a surprise!


	10. Chapter 9

**Yeah, I'm updating A LOT right now because in two weeks or less I won't ever be able to. At all. But here's another chapter. And again, review review review! **

_**Words- Chapter Nine- Lost**_

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- San Francisco, CA_

Hesitation.

Well, it was all I could do before knocking on this door. You see, I guess, despite how much that Detective Fallon was in danger, I still couldn't believe what I was about to walk in on.

But despite that, I swallowed my fears and lightly tapped on the door. With that, I listened on the other end for voices. And sure enough, I heard it.

"Who is it?" She whispered.

And then, as I had feared, another voice shot up in there. "It's… Jeremy. What's he doing here?"

As the door creaked open, I allowed one last clear inhale.

"Blaise… Oscar… I, Uh-I need a word with you, Blaise."

She sighed heavily, brushing her thick bangs out of her face. To my surprise, they both had their clothes on. She looked pissed.

Her cold fingers gripped my wrist, as her jagged nails dug into my skin. The color of her flesh was red, but her face was pale. She dragged me towards the end of the hallway, speaking in a very loud whisper. Oscar disappeared back into the apartment to allow us space. "Jeremy! What else can I tell you! I thought that if I told you that.. You might actually back off!"

My jaw dropped. Again, it felt like somebody had stabbed me. "It's not about you and Oscar! You guys can screw all day and night if you want to, it won't stop me! This is about Mal!"

Her blue eyes narrowed. "Wait… you think that- Oh my god! You think I'm sleeping with Natara's husband?"

"Well, when you put it like that…"

"He's helping me with the case! We teamed up as well since we're both close with Mal and Natara. What on earth gave you the idea that there was more going on?"

"Simple, really!" I was still shouting in a whisper. "You told me there was somebody else! And here you are at three in the morning with him! It looks bad."

She remained silent and I continued.

"Plus, your neighbors said that you and Oscar were loud at your apartment last night!"

Her brow raised momentarily, and she began to justify. "Whoa… Okay. Last night, Oscar was over. We were going over evidence. And I guess we might have been loud. We're upset, Jeremy! And you don't understand, I guess. You weren't as close with them as we were…"

Then something happened, something I hadn't expected. She began to cry. You don't expect women in law enforcement to cry because they deal with so much everyday. Their walls build up so high and when something finally breaks them down, they don't know what to do. "Jeremy, Mal is one of my best friends. I'm _terrified, _right now."

Not knowing what to do, I placed my hand on her shoulder and grazed it up and down. "I realize that. And… for the record, I apologize. I guess I just jumped to conclusions. And I shouldn't have."

She nodded. Maybe I still had a chance with her. Maybe I didn't. I didn't know who the other man was… but I knew that for the time being, I had to be a friend to her. I took my thumb and wiped her tears away as they fell. "It's going to be alright," I reassured her, "Besides, I remembered something. Maybe it isn't a giant help… but it's a lead."

A smile played on her lips. "Tell me. Now."

_Special Agent Natara Williams- Hope, ME- The Holton Household_

Mal was in the shower, and I was still analyzing the tiny folded note. Or maybe I was over-analyzing.

_Unloved_

I couldn't really get much from it. Sure, one word tells a lot. But this. This told me nothing. I heard fumbling around in the hall and instantly tucked the note in the pocket of my hooded sweatshirt.

Mal's voice rang out. "Honey, I… Uhh… need a dry towel."

Typical Mal.

I didn't know where towels would be. I instinctively checked the closet. And doing so, I had to pass the bathroom. And when I did, I didn't realize…

"Natara!"

He screamed because he hadn't closed the door yet. And I saw everything.

Everything.

Quickly, I grabbed a dry towel from the closet down the hall and chucked it on the floor near the bathroom. "I'm- uh- so sorry! Now cover up, please!"

I heard him chuckle. And really, I couldn't stop blushing. To be honest, Mal was beyond sexy. And he knew it. But at the same time, he was smart, daring, and kind. He was also extremely devoted in such a way that he would do anything for someone he loved. Anything. He was a total package. A ten.

I began flicking through the stations on the TV, avoiding the news on purpose. As much as I wanted to know about San Francisco, and everything going on there, I still didn't want to have to deal with it right now. Right now, I had enough on my plate. Mal stepped out, but only covering his bottom half with the towel. It was tied very lightly around his waist, revealing the very toned texture of his abdomen. My jaw hung a little low, but I tried hard to hide it.

"Natara, didn't your mother ever teach you manners? Knock."

I giggled. "FYI, she did. Plus, you must realize that I wouldn't be a very good wife if I couldn't tolerate seeing my husband naked."

"Well… I don't see you handling it very well. Look at your face! It's bright red. And I'm only half naked right now."

I sighed. "And maybe I'm uncomfortable! Put some clothes on!"

Mal flashed a crooked smile and I couldn't help but feel a tingly feeling. My body became warm. And the closer he moved towards me, the worse it got. I wanted to run away. But I couldn't. His face was so close, less that a few inches away from mine. His cologne was overpowering, and his breath was minty and delightful. "Nat, there's something you should know."

I waited.

"… The shower knobs are a little quirky. The cold means hot. And the hot means cold. And.. Dry towels are apparently in the closet."

I sighed, my embarrassment further channeling into anger. With that, he walked proudly back into his bedroom.

Yes, in this house, there was more than one bedroom. And furthermore, thank the Lord. I decided it wasn't over. I bolted into the closet and grabbed a navy blue towel, twisting it completely from one end to the other, as Mal exited his bedroom, I made my move.

I whipped him across his lower back.

He only flinched. "I've taken bullets, Natara Williams, and you think whipping me with a 100% cotton bath towel is really going to…"

I rolled it up again and whipped him a second time, but this time, I did it right across his behind.

His cheeks turned a bright red shade. "_Hah!" _I cried. "Who is blushing now?"

I darted past him with my new weapon and into the bathroom, locking it behind me. I turned the cold water on, remembering what Mal had said earlier about the water knobs. But as soon as I turned the one labeled _Cold _on, I was already butt-naked and in the shower. And guess what? That water never became hot. Ever.

Containing my slight anger was difficult, and I therefore decided that showering was going to be temporarily put on hold. I grabbed the towel off of the floor and rushed into the kitchen, wrapping it best that I could around myself. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the towel was a little smaller than it looked. But regardless, I stormed in and poked my finger in my guilty-looking partner's face. "Malachi Charles Fallon, you said the water was hot on the cold setting! Was that truly _really _necessary?"

His lips spread into an adorable smile. And in return, I smiled, too. I couldn't help it. "Yes, because you just look so darn adorable when you're mad."

"Mal! I'm going to seriously hurt you! I just wanted to take a damn shower!"

He sighed. "Just turn on the hot setting. Duh, unless, of course, you need me to help you in there…" He inched closer and I felt my skin get hot again. Scolding hot. The tingling came back. And I realized the gravity of the situation. I wasn't wearing anything except a skimpy towel. And Mal, he had to have seen. But to my surprise, he wasn't eye-raping me up and down. He was just gazing deep into my eyes, burning me with his fierce blue irises.

"I- I think I've got it under control."

He nodded. "If you change your mind, Agent… I think I know how to turn some knobs."

Why? Why did he have to do those things to me? Clear frustration was written across my face as I stormed back into the bathroom, ripping the towel off and finally adjusting the water temperature to the correct setting.

I was about ready to hop back into the shower when a knock sounded on the slightly ajar bathroom door. "Natara…"

I waited, wondering if he would really just barge in on me. And really, he did. I scrambled for the towel again, letting it drape itself across my chest, and hopefully covering everything below the waist as well. But I didn't have the time to check.

"Mal, what are you-"

His gaze met mine again as he pushed the door shut behind us. I cringed and backed up towards a wall.

"Mal, I-"

His warm finger was on my lips. "Shh."

And before I could object, I was in heaven, with his lips making smooth music with my own. Truly, I hadn't ever experienced anything like it. I was making out with my partner and best friend, Mal Fallon. I didn't know what to think. I also wasn't really thinking. Just feeling. I felt him delicately graze every contour on my body, warming me up. Shivers went down my spine and his hot lips moved to my neck. I wanted to say something. I wanted to ask what this entire thing was about. But in reality, my body couldn't form anything except for moans and hot, heavy breaths.

And for the first time in my entire life, I understood love.

**Review Replies:**

**Molly: **Haha I tricked you all! I had to.

**Cool22hd: **Your questions will all be answered shortly. Originally, I was going to put Blaise with Oscar but I made that too obvious so I'm back to square one. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Blaise and Jeremy at this point but ….

MALTARA FOR EVERYONE.

Yay. I'm going to try to finish one more chapter today, because literally, after today, don't count on it happening too often. But I really want to finish this story! Keep reviewing, enthusiasts J


	11. Interlude

_**Words- Interlude**_

_Michael Hill- Toronto, Canada_

"What do we do?"

I spoke in a muffled tone, speaking to the man that had been a mystery to me since day one. "I am in charge. I am paying you. I will figure it out. Remember, once you arrive at the home, you will have to capture her. But you cannot harm her. Just bring her to me."

I nodded. "Yes, and the man?"

"Kill him."

"Now, what about the girl?"

The man sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I already gave you precise instructions. You cannot harm the woman. The woman… I need her. I owe someone one last favor before I can officially separate myself from this world."

I studied the dark motel room we were in, where the shadows masked the horrendous marks on his face. Dark circles, scars, and his eyes. Everything about him was frightening. But I was hired in. I was supposed to be doing him a job.

The job of turning the two officers against each other, long enough to capture her, bring her to my boss, and murder the other. I had a large amount on my plate. But with what he had promised me, I couldn't turn it town. "Thankfully, this last letter should be what does them in…" He continued speaking very monotone. "… She's smart. Much moreso than he is. She's going to run from him in due time. Naturally, she'll probably head towards Virginia. Where the Federal Bureau Training Facility is. And as far as him, he's going to chase her."

I kept focused on the floor, to avoiding catching a glance at his face. "Can I maybe get a physical on her? Her name?"

"Natara. Natara Mansingh. And… you'll know it when you see her."


	12. Chapter 10

_**Words- Chapter Ten- The Way That I Love You**_

_Detective Mal Fallon- Hope, ME- The Holton Household_

I wish I could explain what came over me last night. But I really couldn't. It was something between overdue action and innate need to release pent up stress.

I loved Natara, and I guess… my body is what I felt needed to express it. But nevertheless, I hadn't spoken to her since.

I mean, I had. We ate breakfast, watched some TV after that, and even went for a very awkward, silent walk along the beach. But she didn't say anything about it. _It was like I was invisible._

But I didn't want to be. The only thing I could think of was to now tell her, point-blank, how I felt. Sure, it was a giant risk to take. It was a giant possibility that she didn't feel quite the same way. Maybe it was just sex to her, and if it was, then so be it. It was amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And I still planned on being her best friend, no matter what she said.

She took a nap and I ran up into town to get some groceries. I wanted to cook her a dinner tonight and take her down to the beach after it got dark. And if the moment was right, I had other plans, too. But we would see if they worked out.

My grocery list was simple: Something I knew she liked, Chinese food, and a bouquet of her favorite, lilies. They would go in the empty vase on our table. After that, some tiny candles to set the mood.

Natara wasn't a cheesy romantic, but I was, and I wasn't going to let her not be spoiled. She deserved many things after everything she's done for common citizens in her lifetime, but one of them, at the very least, was a nice, calm dinner.

To tie everything off, I grabbed a bottle of her favorite wine, a chardonnay, and hit the road back home.

I was hoping she was still napping, and when I didn't hear any rustling about the house, I assumed she was.

I cooked the dinner quicker than I expected and completed the entire set up. And to be honest, I was fairly proud of it. Knowing that Natara never really slept a full night, I felt guilty to wake her from a nap. I moved into her bedroom and knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Nat… morning, beautiful… I made dinner."

Still nothing.

I opened the door to her bedroom and froze. And my nightmare had come true.

It was a nightmare I had last night. And it even woke me up from a dead sleep.

_I decided to go for a jog, down the beach. I'm not sure what provoked me. With the Shawn stress, The Natara stress, and the Oscar stress, I couldn't help but feel more on edge than usual._

_I ran about a mile down the beach, almost reaching the outskirts of the town, and then paced myself with a light jog on the way back._

_The cool breeze helped me a lot, and to be honest, if it was any hotter, I would have fallen over. That and the sky being so dim, it felt like an early morning San Francisco exercise run. At the police headquarters, back when I was only an officer, that was one of the things the Captain made us do on a weekly basis. Sometimes, I really missed it._

_After the run, I slid through the open backdoor and began to book it to the shower. But it wasn't too long before I turned back around. _

"_I closed the back door…" I muttered to myself._

_I heard Satan's laughter and realized the irreversible mistake I had made. Shawn Mallory sat at the bar in the kitchen, with a horrifying grin stapled to his dry, pale lips._

_And the most terrifying, unbelievable concept…_

_She was dead. The love of my life. And she was spread out across the bar, her insides exposed and on display as if she were on exhibit at a museum. _

_His horrendous, fraying teeth stung me with his crooked smile. "You're just in time for breakfast…"_

And that was when I woke up. And Natara wasn't any longer in bed with me anymore. It sent me into a horrific frenzy, and I tore through our home like a madman. I breathed a giant sigh of relief when I found her in our living room munching on popcorn and watching a late night movie.

But now, I saw an empty bed.

And it had me slightly convinced.

That my nightmare had come full circle.

_District Attorney Oscar Santos- San Francisco, CA- His apartment_

"So let me get this straight, Blaise…"

I began to speak, and she plopped back down to the couch where she originally sat prior to Jeremy interrupting us.

"Mal received notes from a suspicious person. He doesn't know who. He just remembers that it resembled a fortune from a fortune cookie, and it was in his mailbox."

"Correct." She replied.

"But what did the note say?"

"Liar."

"What, Blaise? I don't know what I'm lying about… but I seriously want to know what the note said."

She shook her head and let it fall against the palm of her hand in exasperation. "No. It said _Liar_. I am not calling you one."

"Oh… well, I mean. I guess it's a small lead. But what can I do with that?"

She nodded. "And that's exactly what I'm wondering. The only person in the precinct who was that close to Mal that knew his every thought, motion, and spoken word, was Natara. And she disappeared as well."

"But… what if…. Is it Natara?"

Her mouth gaped open and she was very much about to object, and I could tell. But I had to finish my thought.

"Think about it. I suspected for a long time that Natara and Mal had feelings for each other. Everybody knew it. Elephant in my apartment every day. And just as well at the precinct, I'm sure."

Blaise nodded in agreement.

"But here's the thing, the both of them know damn well that if they ever acted on their impulses, they wouldn't be permitted to be partners anymore. And if they can't be partners, either of them would want to continue their work period."

That's when she shook her head. "No. That isn't true."

"Deny it, but you know, if Natara left and went back to Quantico, Mal would either follow her or give up his badge. And if Mal quit, for some reason, Natara would go back to the Bureau."

"What are you getting at?"

"They run away together, make it look like they went missing. Eventually, people just assume their dead?"

I had thought this solution out.

"Oscar, you know damn well that they didn't run away. Mal doesn't have much back here besides his job and Natara, and I guess you're right about that. But Natara, she's got a family and a little sister. And you know better than anyone that Natara is too much of a perfectionist to ever just run away and leave it all behind. She puts herself on a pedestal and wouldn't ever let herself let somebody down. Why do you think she stuck with you so long? You're _acceptable _to her. And even though she loved Mal, she still couldn't let one person down. She knew that in the end, Mal would be there for her no matter what."

I let out a deep sigh. And tried to pretend that a brick wasn't just metaphorically thrown in my face. "I guess that… you're right. I mean, I really didn't know my soon-to-be wife too well. At the end of the day, I just hope she does end up with someone who can give her the love she needs…"

I needed to vent, and I couldn't help it. "I wished it could have been me. You know? It's selfish thinking. But a woman like Natara doesn't come along every day. I just hoped she would marry me. And I guess when she said yes, I noticed the sort of obvious hesitation, but I didn't think much of it. In a way, I'm just like her, though. I just want love."

Blaise looked uncomfortable.

And what I said next probably made it worse. "Detective, don't you just want to be loved sometimes? You know? Have someone that you can speak to about everything? Trust with your life? And just as well, be happy with them every second of every day? Through the good and the bad? Someone to potentially grow old with? Someone who doesn't care if you start to grow wrinkles and gray hair, and still loves you with their whole heart?"

She shrugged. "Haven't thought about it, actually. I guess I'm still a kid at heart."

"Well, I'm not. I want to find that woman… I mean.. hypothetically, it could be any woman. It could be anybody from a stranger on the street to… even someone like you."

Her jaw hung low. And the decibel level in her voice increased by a large margin. "What is _that _supposed to mean?"

"It's not what it sounds like… It's actually.. Well, Shit. I guess what I'm trying to say is, after this whole thing is cleared up, will you go out on a date with me, Blaise?"

Her eyes picked a nice spot on the floor to focus on. "Uh- Oscar… I'm.. I- I'm sorry. But. I have my sights set on somebody else."

"Look, Mal is-"

She interrupted. "It isn't Mal, alright? And I'm pretty sick of everybody assuming that I'm so in love with Mal. I knew that me and him, we'd be hit or miss. I know where his heart lies and that isn't ever going to change."

"Then… who?"

She began to look angry. "It isn't your business, Oscar. Now please, before I change my mind, can we get back to work?"

I sighed. "I- I guess."

**Review Replies:**

**WOW! I am impressed, readers! Seriously and honestly, the amount of positive reviews I got was astounding, and I want to just let out a giant THANK YOU. And also, I am trying extremely hard to keep the story as clear as possible while not giving anything away quite yet. And I just want to say thank you for your continued support while I leave constant cliffhangers update after update… anyways, back to the individual replies.**

**Molly: **I do love to play tricks haha But not too many. Thanks so much for liking the interlude! I always sucked when I attempted to write them. I didn't know whether to make it case-related or Maltara. So I just decided to give the idiot Shawn a little love. Again, thanks so much!

**Tori: **I like how you expressed your true concern for Blaise dating Oscar throughout. You're a trooper! Haha, it really made me just giggle. But no, Oscar and Blaise is officially a no no. And obviously, so is Mal and Blaise. But I am still going to do _something _with her, I haven't decided what yet. But she get a happy ending, haha. Hopefully Jeremy will, too, if I remember…

**Lisa: **I rated it T for a reason, obviously I wanted to hint that some sexual things happened between Mal and Natara but nothing was revealed about the specifics. And to me, writing about sex is just icky and weird…. But otherwise, thank you! I really appreciate your awesome feedback!

**Katie:** I can sense your enthusiasm and when I address this community as 'enthusiasts', know that I am specifically speaking to you, aha. But no, thank you soooo much! I really appreciate it. And don't worry, if I can help it, Shawn will die at some point in this all… he just needs to die already. Amirite?

**Jade:** Hmmmmm it isn't Oscar… and it isn't Mal… who on earth could it be? hahaha


	13. Chapter 11

_**Words- Chapter Eleven- Invincible**_

_Detective Mal Fallon- Hope, ME- The Holton Household_

My gut told me to run. I ran through the home checking every nook and cranny looking for her- the woman who always dragged my heart along my a thin string.

Maybe I was wrong to leave her alone, since we now knew that Shawn would be in fact coming for us. Yeah, I definitely shouldn't have left her alone.

I began screaming and ran out the backdoor and onto the porch. "Natara! Natara, Please. Please tell me you're just out here somewhere…" I trailed off and began gallivanting down the beach a ways.

Something just told me that she was safe. And not to be worried. But sometimes you can't always trust your gut, fully.

I breathed a tremendous sigh of relief when I found her down near the rocks at the end of the street, where the ocean curved to the right and tunneled in towards a large lake.

I wanted to scold her for running off and not telling me, but I knew that since it was Natara, she must have simply wanted to breathe for a minute. That, and I couldn't get angry at her. Ever. I walked up behind her carefully, with every attempt not to frighten her. I moved up next to her, plopping down on the cool sand. "Hey there."

She didn't speak.

"Talk to me, Nat."

She still didn't say a word.

"This is about last night… isn't it?"

She nodded after another minute of silence.

I let out a deep sigh and decided to move in front of her. So she could hear me, see me, and only focus on me.

Screw the dinner, temporarily. This… this needed to be done now.

"I'm sorry, Natara. If I went to fast, I'm sorry. If you feel like I used you… or something ridiculous like that, I'm sorry. But for your information and knowledge, I loved everything about last night. It was _perfect."_

Her eyes finally moved up from the sand and met mine.

Our eyes were at perfect level with each other as I reached to hold her hands. Now, I had her where I always wanted her. With me.

I continued speaking. "You see, to me, last night wasn't about a sexual release, a stress release, or anything like that. I mean, it sure felt better after the sex but… it was about much more than feeling better. It was about me finally expressing how I feel about you. And maybe I did it wrong, for that, I'm sorry. But since I don't know how else to tell you this any clearer, I'll spell it out."

In her hands, I spread her fingers apart and asked her to close her eyes.

She abided and smiled.

With my finger, I delicately traced the letter "I", the symbol of a heart, followed by the letter "U".

"Now open your eyes." I asked.

That smile was still tugging at her lips. As well as a confused expression. "Mal, I don't know if I read that wrong or… "

I sighed and grabbed her face with my hands, gently of course, but still assuring her eyes only met mine. "Natara Williams, I am beyond in love with you."

She acted surprised, and it was beautiful.

"Mal, I- Oh my- I can't believe that you… you love _me?"_

I sighed and shook my head playfully, trying to hide the repeated blushing happening with my cheeks. "Well, duh. Who else could it possibly be? You're the only one here right now. Obviously, I mean you, silly."

"But… you… and Oscar… and the wedding… and _Blaise…_ and I just can't believe this."

My face moved in, only a few centimeters away from her perfect, pink lips. "Believe it, _honey."_

She giggled, scrunching her nose up, which if I had to be honest, when it came down to it, that was one of those things I loved about her the most. "Can it… _honey. _And kiss me."

I did just that, getting that same, glorious rush that I did last night. And too soon, she separated her lips from mine, but not too far. "Oh yeah, and Malachi… I love you, too."

Back at the house, we ate that dinner that I slaved away making, too bad it had gotten a little cold.

It was all smiles, and I felt as if I was in high school all over again. I felt the butterflies, and the head over heels feeling. I was obsessed with this woman. And I couldn't keep my hands off of her.

After dinner, we worked together to put the dishes away and we moved towards the couch to enjoy a movie together. I spent that entire hour rubbing her back and playing with her hair.

Of course, she fell asleep midway through the movie.

If she wasn't so cute, I would have been irritated that my movement was pretty limited. After all, she was on top of me. Regardless, I lifted her up into my arms and we went into my bedroom. I tucked her in underneath the covers and curled up next to her. And of course, as soon as I began to fall asleep, she woke up.

"Mal… I'm awake. Again."

I sighed, squeezing her comfortably and snuggly against me. "I'm aware."

I planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Get some rest, Nat. You're safe to sleep. I'm not going to let anything happen."

She turned around and conformed into the space of my stomach. "I'm not scared of Shawn, Mal. I already said that. And hell, if Shawn really wanted to, he could have killed me a long time ago. But he won't, because it's easy. He wants me to suffer. And I guess that… that's what I'm scared of."

"You're scared of suffering?"

"Yes, I'm scared of suffering in the hands of a deranged psycho. Or worse… him taking you away from me."

"He won't ever-"

"-Don't be so sure." She interrupted. "If he ever found out about _this, _hurting you would be priority number one. He knows that by hurting you, he'll hurt me. He knows I'd rather die than watch someone I love die…"

"But Natara, sweetheart, didn't you sort of love him? At one point? I mean… I know it's not something you want to relive but… you loved him and… you thought he died. How was that not enough for him?"

I felt her body tense up, and her skin grew a little cool. I felt bad to mention it. But any closer to digging into the demented mind of Shawn, and we could uncover something detrimental in finding him, so we could return to our normal lives. "But, as much as I thought I loved him, I guess the thing with Genevieve proved I didn't. And never knew a word like love even in the slightest. And he knew that. And it burned him worse than it burned me."

"And he couldn't take it?"

"Nope, guess not."

Silence filled the room for a second, but then her quiet voice spoke again. "What on earth do I say to Oscar?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if we- when we- survive this. And go back to our regular lives, how do I explain myself? It's going to kill him."

"He already expects it, trust me. And if he doesn't, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

She went silent again, and I felt her snuggle her face into my chest again.

"And I'm going to be here every step of the way."

I could even feel her eyelashes tickle my bare chest as they fluttered up and down. I smiled. "Goodnight, Nat. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mal."

**Alright, FIVE UPDATES IN ONE DAY. I have a migraine.**

**Enjoy, Maltara enthusiasts. **


	14. Chapter 12

_**Words- Chapter Twelve- A dream come true… a nightmare I wish that wasn't…**_

_Detective Mal Fallon- Hope, Maine- The Holton Household_

_I don't know where I was going._

_But again, I was running, and running after the woman that I loved._

_Except this time, she was running away from me. _

_Her shimmering brown locks were barely out of my grip as she darted down the street. I don't know where we were. I just know that it wasn't San Francisco, Maine, Alaska, or anywhere else I'd seen in my life. Everything around us seemed so bleak and inevitably pointless, though- because I was really only focused on her._

"_Natara, where are you going? What's wrong, sweetie?" She kept running and running, and I could sense she was out of breath. _

"_I should have known better! It was you.. All along, and it was you!" She screamed that at me, hyperventilating. "I-It was you!"_

"_How could you say that? I love you. With all of my heart!"_

"_Love me? How could you continue to lie to me, Mal!"_

_I couldn't believe the sight that was awaiting me, at the very end of our street. Shawn Mallory, before he turned psychotic and horrific looking. His limp was still there. But the ghostly white hair, the pale shade of his lips, and his overall just eerie way of expression, it was gone. It looked like the first day I met him._

_What I saw next… it made me want to vomit. Natara ran into his arms. "Shawn, thank god you're here!"_

_I froze in my tracks. Their lips touched and I felt my legs quicker. I knew it was a nightmare. A bad dream. It had to be. There was no way it was anything close to being real._

_They kept kissing and touching… and believe me, I reached out with my hands, gripping for her with all of my might. "Natara!" I screamed._

_And everything became booming loud. And his hair grew lengthy and white- how I knew it to be. I just knew I kept reaching for her… screaming her name… begging for her to come back to my arms…_

_And then._

"Mal! You're hurting me! Stop it!" I felt a warm sensation all around me as my eyes peeled open. I was on top of Natara and as soon as I saw the pained expression on her face, I moved to the other side of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Her face was pretty still and in the dark, I could still see her terrified expression.

It remained even after I released my grip on her.

"N-Nat… I am _so _sorry. It was another nightmare, and I-"

She interrupted me with a soft, but intense kiss on my lips. "Mal, it's alright. We're on edge. Don't say sorry. I'm just worried about you. Are you okay?"

Natara. Such a beautiful, understanding woman. It seemed as though I couldn't be any luckier. "I'm fine… it's just weird. I never had nightmares when I was growing up, and not when I became an adult either. I don't know how to explain it."

She took hold of my hand and led me back towards the bed, pulling me into her arms. "You don't need to explain it. It's just probably a result of the fear you're feeling right now."

"I'm not scared." I replied abruptly.

"Sure. Say that. Just know that even I, the impenetrable Natara Williams am afraid right now. Being scared is okay sometimes."

I shook my head at her attempt at humor. Her soft stomach became my pillow. Terrified I was crushing it, I only rested my head lightly. But she wasn't complaining at all. "You're hilarious, Natara. But on the other hand… don't quit your day job."

She playfully slapped my arm. If only she knew that it didn't hurt me in the slightest. "You, Mal Fallon, are a jerk. Remind me again why I associate myself with you."

I raised my head and took her into my arms instead, planting a series of soft kisses along her jaw line to her forehead. "Because, Natara Mansingh, I love you, and would do anything for you." I planted one last kiss on her tiny, soft lips and locked my gaze with hers.

"Anything?"

I nodded.

"Then shut that sexy mouth of yours, and kiss me."

I shook my head at her and did as I was ordered.

_Detective Blaise Corso- SFPD HeadQuarters_

"Alright. I'm exhausted. And I'm tired of this!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as we realized we hit yet another dead end.

So far, the only lead we had was the strange, anonymous letters that Mal had apparently been receiving in his work mailbox. As I continued my tirade, powered mostly by frustration and pure exhaustion, an angry Acting Captain Anders stormed through the bullpen.

"Everybody, I need for this nonsense to cease! The feds are doing the best they can to locate Detective Fallon and Agent Williams! And I already said, working on this case is _not_ permitted!"

I was still fueling from my recent outburst. Anders wasn't going to stop me. "Captain, I'm sorry. But according to you, the feds are also searching for the high-profile Shawn Mallory, who wants nothing less than to watch Natara and Mal _suffer. _But you want us, their friends and coworkers, to sit in the background and do _nothing?"_

"Blaise, please, understand my limitations and the personal relationships are exactly why you cannot be involved… You _all _have towering stacks of paperwork on your desks due to me by the end of the day, no exceptions! Do we have a clear understanding?"

I was about to protest, when the Captain interrupted me.

"If I have anymore resistance from _anybody _on the matter, and if there is _any, _and I don't care if you're off-duty or otherwise, I will have your badges."

That shut me up pretty quick. But not quick enough.

That day, on my lunch, I approached a tired-looking Detective Redbird with a coffee for him. And an idea. "Hey Redbird, come here."

The break room was pretty deserted, except for an off-duty officer taking a nap in the corner. You would be surprised on how often that happens.

"Blaise… Again, I'm really sorry about barging in on you and Oscar the other night- Don-"

I couldn't believe he was still talking about that. To me, he was being an idiot. To even suggest that I was having a secret affair with Oscar was a ridiculous, unreal idea. And when it came down to Oscar hitting on me, and me rejecting him, he brought up Mal. Everybody was an idiot, in my professional opinion. My obvious heart's choice was right in front of them. "Shut up, Jeremy. Listen, I need your help. It's a giant risk… but… here's the thing. I know that Mal would risk his badge for me. He would do way more than that. If you help Oscar and I… it would be an amazing favor."

I watched his eyes narrow in on something near my feet. But in reality, he wasn't looking at anything- just zoning out. "You heard what Anders said, though. It isn't an option. I've worked for this." He lifted his jacket so show the inside, where the badge was clipped. "Worked hard… and I know that you and Mal were like that…. But… I don't know. I feel like they're going to locate those two. You know? I feel like in my gut, they're safe."

I laughed. "Oh god, you're starting to sound like Mal…"

_Special Agent Natara Williams- My Own Thoughts_

My heart slept next to me.

Soft sighs and snores echoed throughout the thick shadows of an eerie house.

I desperately wanted to shake Mal's shoulders and wake him up. I was scared. I wanted him to hold me, which he already was, but I still didn't feel safe.

That's how horrible Shawn Mallory made me feel.

Delicately, I pushed my heart's arms away- separating myself from my thick wall of safety.

The darkness of the hallway called to me. And I couldn't tell you why. I wandered into the kitchen and poured myself a chilly ice water, analyzing the last note I received, one last time. After this, I planned to toss it in the garbage, and return to my heart's arms.

_Afraid_

I, being a profiler, always wanted to decipher from scratch. That is- not assume things. And cover all bases.

_Afraid_

Was it a statement or an accusation?

_Afraid, Unloved, and Infidelity_

I had begun to truly pick apart everything from the meaning to the typestyle. And then, I heard a sharp whisper behind me. And glass and water flew in every direction.

_Author's Note:_

_I'm sorry this chapter sucked. I'm tired. It's two in the morning. Enough said. Hahah, please review and don't be shy, ladies and gentleman. Oh my, that reminds me, I have this new prof that says "ladies and gentleman" every two seconds, he also asks us if we agree with him whenever he says ANYTHING. Sooooo weird. Anyways…_

_I will try to update again either tomorrow or on CoD Monday. Enjoy the rest of your weekends, readers and Maltara enthusiasts. _

**Review Replies:**

**Molly: **Yes, the popular vote according to reader reviews said that Blascar was a no-no. Hahah, but there is SOMEONE for Blaise. You're going to have to wait and see who :0

**Lisa: **Thank you SOOOOO MUCH. I have a thing with writing. I write and write and write and after like an hour I'll be like "Gee, my head hurts…. Oh… you just wrote like twelve chapters… explains it. Hahah .But yeahhhh there's some more Maltara coming…. A lot of it…

**NiekaWow:** Thanks soooo much! It's totally cool. Hahahaha I'm a maltara girl too… but am definitely still pro-'jeraise'. Question: Can we use 'redbird' instead of his real name. IT'D BE REDBLAISE

**The Sarcastic Polar Bear: **Thank you! I have read some of your stuff on here and what I have read is amazing. Hahaha I know im kinda rude. I don't ever review…. But still, thanks so much!

**Katie: **hahahah you funny. MALTARA MALTARA MALTARA. You're funny. Keep watching for updates. Haahha the maltara in this chapter was specifically for you

**Jade: **Oh wow thankkkk you! That's soooo nice of you! Im going to update as much as possible.

**Tori: **Yeahhhhh I forgot about oscar too. Natara Needs to forget about oscar mostly though lol


	15. Chapter 13

_**Words- Chapter Thirteen- Unlucky**_

_Special Agent Natara Williams- Hope, Maine- The Holton Household_

The crystal clear glass fell from my trembling hand and crashed on the linoleum floor beneath me. I found myself stuck in the sound of the glass breaking and shattering pieces all over the floor.

A groggy voice caused this. "Babe, what's wrong? Are you-"

As the cup shattered, Mal and I froze in place, careful not to step on any glass.

"Here, don't move. The last thing I would want is glass in your cute little feet…"

I couldn't believe Mal, sometimes. His strong arms lifted me onto the countertop while he began to sweep up the mess I made.

"You are scared, huh?" Mal asked next.

"I told you earlier that I was. I wasn't like… kidding."

Mal emptied the dustpan and thoroughly inspected the floor for more glass. He even checked the carpet on the far other side of the room to be sure that no scraps flew over there.

After doing this, I still remained on the counter. He wandered back over to me and wound his warm arms around me and lifted me up again. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist for extra support. We stayed like that for a minute, just locked into each other's gaze. "Are you scared right now?" He whispered.

I was honest. "No. How could I be?"

"And why aren't you?"

I thought about it, deliberating my answer because this moment- and everything it was- was perfect. I wanted nothing to ruin it. "Because… I trust you. I care about you. I love you. I can't let myself be afraid. I know you'd keep me safe. You always have."

He smiled and it made me smile back, and I probably looked like an idiot. "And it's just you and I here. No one can do anything about it. Nobody will ever harm you."

"I think I already may have mentioned this but… It's just the idea of Shawn. You remember what he did… I never coped with that. I never talked about it."

"You can talk to me."

Somehow, Mal still had me up off the ground. I always knew he was strong. But this was pretty ridiculous. It was like it was effortless for him.

I stifled back a river tears. "I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet."

"What's there to be ready for? It already happened, sweetie."

"I'm not ready to relive it, Mal."

He finally set me back to my feet and held me close. I didn't cry because again, I wouldn't let myself. I hated letting anybody see that sacred side of me. It was private. And I preferred to keep it that way. Even though Mal had already stolen my tears once before- I was pretty adamant about history never repeating itself. "I can't say I blame you for that. But for now, I'm sick of these restless nights… let's get back to sleep."

I smiled in agreement, finally realizing that Mal and I never had slept a full night together yet.

He swept me of my feet bridal-style and trudged back to the bedroom, even in the darkness, I saw the complete exhaustion painted on his face. I gave a final goodnight kiss and tucked myself under his arm. The exhaustion finally took me, too.

_Detective Blaise Corso- San Francisco, CA- The apartment of DA Oscar Santos_

"It's pretty imperative that we be as discrete as humanly possible about this. My badge is on the line, here. As every other precinct Detective and officer. I don't really know what to do now. Jeremy seems to think that they're both safe. I don't."

Oscar sat stiffly in his office chair. This lavish apartment seemed to have secret compartments that I discovered daily. From the hidden library inside of it, to the offices, the three walk-in closets, and master bathroom with the Jacuzzi. Natara definitely had it made with this guy. "Well," he began, adjusting the tight fixture of his black tie, "I believe whole-heartedly in my fiancé. I mean. She's a strong woman. Strong-willed, too. I'm not worried about Shawn hurting her either… but on the other hand, I am still worried about her. It's a pretty natural reaction. And it's a given that you probably feel the same as I do, just about Mal."

For as long as I pegged Oscar to be a total moron, who just knew a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, he really was smart. At least what he said was smart. "Yeah, you're right. But I'm not going to just pretend everything is fine and dandy when who knows what's happening out there… not to mention, do you think Mal or Natara would just sit on their asses if either of us went missing?"

He shook his head. "That's where you're right then, Detective. I just… umm… well, I really feel like the notes are the only reasonable lead that we have right now. And it's going to be a little difficult to pursuit the lead just the two of us. I mean, discretely… that is."

I nodded in agreement, and cleared my throat. "And that's why I sort of… asked for some help."

"You what?" He replied quickly.

A hard knock at the front door of the apartment sounded immediately after Oscar released his breath.

Oscar didn't even ask who, and in fact, he looked a little bit angry.

Without checking the peephole, Oscar threw open the door to reveal a tired, but handsome-looking young Detective. No matter how much of a baby face that Jeremy had, he was still pretty freaking adorable. At the moment, I couldn't allow myself to focus on that, though. I watched Oscar. "Jeremy? What are you d-"

I interrupted quickly, just to clear the air. "I asked him to help us. I'm sorry I didn't tell you… I just thought that since you kept saying we needed help… I got us some help."

Oscar released a giant sigh and waited a minute. Finally, he opened the door wider and gestured Jeremy inside. "The more the merrier, I suppose. But we need to get started with brainstorming like… now. It's going on two-thirty in the morning."

Time had begun to be an everlasting circle at this point. Sleep became an optional circumstance that wasn't necessarily as beautiful as it used to be. I could sleep, but then risk waking to news that my ex-partner and one of my best friends was dead.

And I guess that went along with Oscar. Him and I were too similar. Because of this, we understood each other. Although Natara left him before she just disappeared, I could tell he still deeply cared for her. Just like Mal and myself.

However, the situation with Jeremy and Oscar was uncomfortable. I denied them both, for the time being. How could I possibly focus on dating with all of this going on? Dating Oscar wasn't out of the question, but I definitely wanted to speak with Natara far before I even considered that.

Oscar had many admirable qualities. Sure, he was basically a grown-up and I still had plenty of work to do in that department, but sometimes, that's what's great about dating somebody opposite of you. The balance.

Oscar led Jeremy and I back into his luxurious office. The three of us didn't know where to begin. Lately, we never did. The conversation began with our only lead. "Well, is it safe to assume that the note was an accusation?"

Oscar laughed. "I mean… Detective, right? That's what you are?"

Jeremy nodded.

"Then you should know that that's definitely what that was. Besides, it was clearly a hostile one. Whomever typed it doesn't appreciate Mal."

"District Attorney, don't quit your day job."

I sighed and rubbed my temples. It was going to be a long night…

_Three Hours later… _

Oscar's white board was filled with minor notes that we had made during the discussion. All were questions that really only Natara could answer. It left us feeling brain-dead and purely exhausted. Oscar wandered off into his kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

My mind wandered. "Jeremy, I have a feeling that… Shawn… if these notes are his responsibility… isn't working alone."

He waited, eyeing me suspiciously. "I mean, could he really wander into the precinct on any given moment and plant notes in Mal's mailbox?"

"That… and I had another thought. What if Natara got notes, too?"

"There would be only one way to know." I replied.

"We need to check their mailboxes. Their desks, even."

I sighed as Oscar returned with three steaming coffee cups. We shared our recent brainstorming with him, too. "Yeah…" Oscar began, "If you two want to snoop, you better be careful. Your jobs are on the line."

"At this point, Anders can take my badge and throw it into the bay if he wants. I don't care. I just want my two co-workers back. And I truly believe that if we highly contribute to finding those two again, maybe Anders won't stick by his word."

Oscar piped up from behind his desk, sipping on his steaming mug of coffee. "Have we yet to consider the possibility that maybe Mal and Natara didn't want to be found?"

An eerie silence filled the tiny space, and before I could object, Jeremy stood and spoke. "Well, I don't care if they want to be found, don't want to be found, or are just on vacation and didn't tell anybody. To me, that's too much. There was a creepy ass note in Mal's mailbox. And I know there's more to it. So if the two of you don't mind, I'm going to investigate."

With that, he disappeared out of the office and I heard the apartment door slam a few moments later. I was torn between following him, as back up, or staying behind to talk with Oscar more.

It wasn't a hard decision to make though. "Yeah. Well, he's right, you know. I just don't think we have any more options. I'll call you later."

_Detective Jeremy Redbird_

"Wait up!" A soft, feminine voice cried out to me, before I felt smooth hands grip my jacket..

"Blaise… are you coming to help me?"

She smiled slightly. "I have to, don't I?"

"No. But is Oscar coming?"

She shook her head and linked her arm with mine. "I don't think so."

**Review Replies:**

**Molly: **haha. I knew you folks would love that.

**Tori:** I'm trying to include as much maltara as possible before stuff gets weeeeeeeeiiiieeeerrrrdddd

**Katie:** Pleaseeee don't go insane ahaha. Hahahah and thanks! I'm sure you don't need a maltara writing lesson lol. I have a Mal-Natara situation in my life right now. And I'm not sure what to do. It's this guy who I was super close with for 2 years now, but he's had this girlfriend for almost five years. They live together and she decided she doesn't like me and I guess I can understand why but it kills me because like, I don't really even have feelings for the guy. It's just this back and forth flirtation and he calls me and texts me and things behind her back and she gets mad at me for it. I just feel really guilty because they fight about me :/ plus he's about six years older than I am. Lol

So that's why im really good at writing Maltara. Haha

**Jade:** thank youuuuu. You're awesome.

**Lisa:** Thanks! When I write in the middle of the night it's pretty 50/50. It's either going to be like superb or just so-so. I'm glad you liked it, though! Shawn really is messing with their minds! It isn't cool.


	16. Chapter 14

_**Words- Chapter Fourteen- Eruption**_

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- SFPD Headquarters_

"I think we should split up."

Those words exited her mouth and I let out an irritated sigh. "Those words are bad news, Corso."

She flipped around in front of me, blocking my way before we entered the deathly quiet bullpen. Few officers muddled about, all tasking with something. Ultimately, the perfect opportunity to dig for some answers. "Ugh! Listen, we need to be quick, quiet, and as nonchalant as possible here. I'm going to search their desks… because I feel like I can be much sneakier than you can."

"Um, Blaise, keep in mind that Mal's office is probably locked. Natara's desk is a cubicle in a bustling area, too. So you need to be careful. Time yourself well. And if anybody gets suspicious… it's detrimental."

"I'm aware. Listen, the same goes for you. In and out. We'll meet at the coney down the street in a half an hour. Alright?"

I saluted her and swiftly entered around the corner through the parking garage, while I assumed she entered through the front door. It would have been like any other early morning, except that it was only four o'clock. And people weren't expecting us yet.

I sauntered through diligently, acting as if I forgot something. I ran, nearly colliding, into Officer Bartaugh. "Redbird, sheesh! What's the rush?"

I switched into undercover mode. "Erm, my wallet! I'm positive I left it in my office though."

Bartaugh laughed, thank god, too. He knew that leaving my phone, pager, or wallet in my office wasn't unlike me. I've done it before. At least five times. "You're too funny. But hey… question…"

I turned back around to face him.

"You and Blaise? Nice man. Nice."

"What do you mean?"

"You two uh… gettin' busy?"

I shook my head. "I don't know what you've heard… but… no. Man we're just friends."

Bartaugh quickly exited as Blaise turned the corner as I saw her slyly head towards the Detective's offices. Anders' office sat in the very middle, right before the bullpen. Mine, Blaise's, and Mal's office were to the left. She disappeared very quickly while I snuck into the break room.

Thankfully, no officers were in there. I took full advantage of the ghost town that the precinct currently was and fished through the mailbox labeled _Special Agent Natara Williams_.

Nothing.

I mean, nothing. She must have just emptied it before she took off, eliminating all opportunities of a lead.

I skipped up the alphabet to _Detective Mal C. Fallon_, and again. Nothing. He must have emptied it as well. And in fact, I saw him empty it.

Shit.

After leaving the precinct in dismay, I retreated down the street to the Coney Island and waited for my partner.

Five minutes later, she came parading in as if she was keeping a secret of some sort. Sneaky my ass.

She sat across from me and motioned over a waitress. "Coffee please. A lot of it, thanks."

She turned back to me, and the waitress looked baffled. As the young, redheaded waitress wandered back over towards the kitchen, Blaise screamed across the diner. "Some waffles too, please! And a ginger ale!"

I shot Blaise a baffled look, but she ignored it. "Bla-"

"Listen, I found an answer, possibly. But I'm just going to show you… you tell me what you think."

I waited. She fished through her lightweight jacket and pulled out a crumpled brochure from her inside pocket, slamming it a little hard against the table.

"Natara and Oscar's wedding invite? What does-"

"I found it crumpled up at the top of his trash can."

I sighed. "Well, duh. I mean, it's Mal. Did you really think he was going to attend the Nascar wedding?"

She held up her finger and fished around in her other pocket. "And then I found these…"

There were several more wadded up wedding invites that she slammed down aside the others. "Where did you get those?"

"Natara's garbage can."

Blaise and I shared a glance that spoke volumes. But essentially, our suspicions were confirmed. "So you're thinking what I'm thinking?"

She shook her head, appeased by the waitress arriving with her food. She devoured it before speaking again. "Well, probably not the same thing. I definitely think they had the 'talk'. But… that still doesn't explain the note that Mal got."

Something clicked in my head. I went with it. "But… what if… Natara wrote it?"

"You think Natara wrote that note to Mal?"

"Well, I'm just thinking. We keep saying that only Natara knew Mal that well, to call him a liar about something. Maybe I'm completely wrong. But it's the best idea we've had."

"I don't know. I think that right now, my heads going to explode. My head is killing me. My stomach is on fire."

I stole her right hand and her in turn, her gaze. "Come on. I know it's hard. But just think… where would Mal go if he wanted to get away?"

Her eyes wandered off, fixating on something outside. "I don't know… but here's what I do know. I'm about to lose my breakfast."

She darted off to the bathroom. I would have followed her. But she would have killed me.

_Special Agent Natara Williams- My Own Thoughts_

I woke up before Mal. I made the coffee. And I studied. The three notes were all the exact same length, width, and diameter. The typestyle was the same. The were all one word followed by a period at the end.

I decided that it would be better if I instead, studied the meaning of the notes, instead of the physical attributes of the notes. The first one: _Infidelity._ I remembered receiving that exactly five days ago in my mailbox at work. The natural suspect for that was Oscar, assuming that I was cheating on him. But I wasn't. At least not when I received the note.

I didn't know Mal had feelings for me. I was certain I just had these unexplainable feelings for him and that I did for a while now. But I didn't know he felt the same. And technically, I didn't break up with Oscar yet. I moved out. But as soon as I got back to my normal life, that was at the top of my agenda.

The second note: _Unloved_

That was tricky. The last time that somebody ever referred to me as being "unlovable" was with Gil Franzen when Mal, Blaise, Kai and went undercover at the resort. Mal's "ruse" to convince Gil that real love existed mentioned a few tiny secrets about myself, and the fear of being loved was one that slipped right out of Mal's mouth.

After everything I had been through in my job, between losing my ex-lover to a horrific 'mother' of serial murderers and having him spend the past year and a half trying to kill me, and the Flores drug cartel making attempts at Mal's and my life every chance they got, I was definitely a little bit scared to even think about love. And I guess Mal was correct about that.

But I still didn't know what that meant.

And then the last one. I received it early this morning. _Afraid._

It baffled me the worst. I found it in my hoodie pocket. I reached for it in the middle of the night because apparently cuddling with my partner wasn't good enough.

Of course I was afraid. I admitted it to Mal. And it was fairly obvious.

"Morning, sweetheart." I turned around and smiled, seeing those gorgeous blue eyes that I loved so much. I stuffed the notes back into my pocket and greeted Mal with a morning hug and kiss.

His arms snaked around me as he remained behind me. "Whatcha' doin?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Thinkin' about what?"

"That… ugh. It's like eleven already. I need a shower."

Today Eric was coming back to check on us and I didn't want to look like I just got hit by a car, which is how I looked right at the moment. I stepped away from Mal and made my way to the bathroom. I didn't worry about locking the door, after all, the last time that Mal barged in on my shower, I didn't mind, really.

However, my body went paralytic as my eyes caught something on the counter.

A folded note. It looked like a fortune from a fortune cookie. I held my breath for a minute. Maybe I could die and then I wouldn't have to read it.

I stiffly approached the counter and peeled it open, nearly collapsing when I read the horrifying word printed in plain text:

_Kitchen._

_Author's Note: I really hope you all understand what's happening right now. If you don't it will be cleared up in the next update._

**Review Replies:**

**The Sarcastic Polar Bear:** Thanks. I'll tryyy

**Molly:** A bunch of Blaise drama is about to happen, as well as Maltara drama. Ultimately, some major plot twists are coming. You won't see Maltara for a while. And I'm sorry! But thanks again for the support! And I always try to expose Natara's soft side. Since it's a side that the game doesn't really ever show.

**Lisa:** Thanks soooo much!

**Jade: **It's about to get a whole lot worse! Hahaha as far as tension goes! Thanks again, though!

**Katie:** Thanks so much! You're hilarious hahahah FOR THE CHILDREN. And yeah, I'm not sure what to do about my situation with this guy. The other day he texted me saying that he couldn't really hang out with me anymore because him and his girl got in a huge fight about me. I feel guilty but I also feel like it's ridiculous. Obviously she doesn't trust him so it's pointless. Trust is the foundation of every functional relationship and she chooses to blame me to avoid feeling powerless in this situation. And it kills me because it isn't like me and this guy have done anything… we're just emotionally close. And UGHHHH okay I'm going to stop rambling… And I know this is going to hurt you the most and I'm sorry but the Maltara won't be there for a while. And this next chapter is going to make you hate me. But stick with it! And keep reading. Lol. You won't be disappointed.

**Tori:** Yeah, I never thought of it either. But I like it! Lol, And I'll try to keep updating fast.


	17. Bonus Scene

_**Words- A Bonus Scene**__(Rated M for Mature themes)_

_Detective Blaise Corso- San Francisco, CA- Her apartment_

My head was permanently frozen over the toilet bowl. It felt like I drank too much last night. Except I hadn't had anything to drink last night.

The clock said that it was seven-thirty in the morning. I didn't have to be at the precinct until nine, and I should have been sleeping. But I hadn't been able to stop throwing up since five.

My phone was blaring with texts, missed calls, and voicemails. All either from Oscar, Jeremy, or Kai. I made plenty of mistakes in my life so far, but the biggest by far was giving Kai Kalaba my personal cell phone number.

My stomach began to calm down, and I leaned back against the wall. And it didn't take a detective to realize the problem at hand.

It had been five days since my period was supposed to start.

My head hadn't stopped hurting since four days ago.

Tired was of course a predicament, but I also hadn't slept.

My breasts hurt worse than they ever had.

I knew what I had to do. But I didn't have the time.

I cleaned myself up and walked a block to the Rite-Aid. Grabbing the one thing I needed.

I chugged nearly a gallon of water and waited for my bladder to feel full. Five minutes later, I urinated on the stick.

Two minutes later- I had the answer I needed.

_Positive._


	18. Chapter 15

**It finally happened! MALTARA FINALLY HAPPENED! Let's have a party! Eh?(IN THE CoD game! Whoooooo)**

_**Words- Chapter Fifteen- The Puzzle Comes Together**_

_Special Agent Williams- Hope, Maine- The Holton House_

Everything suddenly clicked together like a jigsaw puzzle. It just made sense. What also made sense was why I chose not to believe it.

Mal. Mal was the only one who knew these things about me. He knew how terrified I was, he knew how unloved I felt, and at the same time, he knew that Oscar had constant suspicions that Mal and I were having an affair behind his back.

It felt like somebody had stabbed me in the heart.

But no matter. I decided it was time to confront this situation head-on.

I crept into the kitchen and before I could change my mind, I raised my voice. "Mal, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Tears began to fall from my eyes and I couldn't control it. Only because my best friend, my lover, and partner for almost two years now had betrayed me. "Nat… wh- what are you talking about? Are you alright?"

I shook my head, trying to speak proudly over my tears that were escaping.

The look on Mal's face said that he was very confused. But after this long, I knew what the actor he'd become. "Mal, the notes…. They were you all along. I can't b-believe you would… you did this!"

He tried to move closer, and I reached into my pocket and pulled out his pistol. The same one he snuck on the trip with us. "Whoa! Natara! Put that down! Where did you even get that?"

"Tell you later. Or actually, I won't. I want you to tell me, right now, why the hell did you write me these notes?"

With my free hand, I fumbled through the other pocket and peeled out all four. And I read them. "Infidelity…"

His face morphed into a frown.

"Unloved…"

"Scared…"

And… "Kitchen…."

He still looked completely terrified, his bottom lip trembled. "Tell me what room of the house you're in and I'll shut up and give you your gun back!"

Mal shook his head. "Natara, I was with you when you got that first note… I told you! I don't know who did it!"

"Bullshit! I'm sick of this! You tell me some grand speech about how in love with me that you are, praying on my weaknesses! It's almost like… you wanted me to know it was you. You must have. You told me with that last one… But the real truth… the real truth…"

His face changed, and he put his arms back down at his sides. "…The real truth is…? I'm waiting Miss Williams."

I stayed silent, but kept my gun aimed at his face.

"Nat, I didn't know you were still getting those. And if you would have just _told _me, we could have worked on it together. Figured it out. Now, I understand you're stressed out. You're mortified. But please, I know that all signs point to me being the one to blame. But you must know that I'm not. And how could you doubt me? _Ever?_! I love you."

I knew his strategy right now. Trying to weaken my defenses. I didn't know what he was plotting, but I did know that I wasn't going to fall short to his tactics. I snapped back into reality and spoke. "How could _I?_ Are you kidding me?! You…. You…. You did this! And no, I don't know what you were planning to do! But I'm not sticking around to find out!"

"Natara… come on! You have _got _to believe me. We can't afford to have this shit pulling us apart. Come on! Just put the gun down and we can pretend this never happened. We can get to the bottom of this!"

I truly considered his statement. But I knew that he was the one behind it. Not only did the words all point to him, as evidence. Just as well, that note was on the counter. He was the only other one in the home today.

… Or was he?

That's when a dark, hooded figure crept up behind the love of my life. And I realized I had made a horrible mistake.

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- Blaise's Apartment_

I rushed up the stairs that day. Blaise called me and explained that an anonymous tip had been phoned in as to Shawn Mallory's location.

I rushed up the stairs to meet her, trying to remain as alert as humanly possible. "Blaise! Are you ready?"

She chuckled. "_HAH. _Am I? Dumb question. I am going to _kill_ this mother f-"

"_BLAISE!"_ I quickly cut in and attempted to remind her of the gravity of this situation. "You can't think of it like that. First of all, it was only an anonymous tip. Plus, it was so specific that I personally wonder how valid it is. And second, you cannot kill anybody unless it's in an act of self defense."

"Spare me, rookie. I know that you'd love nothing more than to drive a serrated blade through Shawn Mallory's disgusting skull. Now let's please go! The S.W.A.T teams are heading there as we speak!"

With that, I chased the blonde-haired Detective downtown towards the old warehouse that the tip sent us too. Outside, Captain Anders met up with us.

"A security guard reported seeing suspicious activity in this building. Claimed a vagrant was speaking to him, and he had to kick him out of the place. Apparently, the guard later realized the man was in fact, Shawn Mallory."

"Do we know where Shawn went after that?" I asked.

"No. In fact, the guard manages about twenty other run-down warehouses in the Bay area. He suspects that Mallory resides here."

Blaise's eyes narrowed as she paraded by the S.W.A.T van and towards the building. The Captain yelled after her, "Corso! Get back here, now! S.W.A.T is going in first!"

Unfortunately, she wasn't one to follow orders.

My only option: Run after her.

I ran as fast as I could to keep up. Captain Anders yelled after me, too, but didn't stop me.

The warehouse held multiple stories. In fact, it appeared to look more similar to a parking garage than a warehouse. After sneaking in through an open, creaky door. I surveyed my surroundings. Everything was darkness. "SFPD!" I surveyed the four corners, including the door. Blaise wasn't anywhere in sight.

I whipped out my flashlight and kept searching.

"Blaise!" I cried out.

Fear and anxiety took over me when there was no answer. I mean, I yelled it so loud. "Blaise!" I yelled it one last time, shining my tiny flashlight into the distance, seeing nothing but broken machinery and spider webs.

I felt a cold grip on my shoulder.

My instinct told me to shoot, but I held fire and turned to see Blaise. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "You had me terrified! Don't do that!"

"What are you talking about! I just got down here. It turns out there ain't nothing upstairs."

"Of course. Do you think they're going to back us up any time soon?"

Jeremy shook his head. "I think they're still briefing the team. It wouldn't hurt us to explore a little more."

We vowed to split up to conquer more ground. She took the far side and I stuck to the side I was on. All I continued to find were pieces of machinery, dust, spiders, spider webs, and then… I heard a strange noise.

I turned around to look at Blaise. She began digging through metal scraps in a box. "Blaise! Do you hear something?"

She yelled from across the long space. "No! Why? Do you?"

I temporarily didn't reply and trained my ear to follow the noise. It took me across towards were a large tarp covered a box-shaped item. My brain finally recognized the noise: Static.

I turned to find Blaise behind me, and her eyes narrowed in the same item.

We exchanged a nod and glance at it, before we removed the tarp in unison.

It was an old television. My heart froze, stopping its beating momentarily, when I saw the face on the screen. "… Is that…"

Her fingers strangled my wrist as her voice lowered. "It's… _Agent Williams."_

_Detective Mal Fallon- Hope, Maine- The Holton Household- Four hours ago_

"M-Mal! Watch out!" With an instant realization that I wasn't lying, he dove to the side, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The hooded man followed as he toppled over on top of Mal. I moved around the island in the kitchen and realized that Mal was about less than three seconds away from having a knife in his chest. I held up my firearm and immediately held the trigger, not even hesitating to press it. My aim was perfect, steady, and I wasn't ever going to let Mal get hurt.

Shock coursed through me when I realized that the chamber was empty.

"Shit!" I screamed and right before the knife went in, Mal gripped the man's wrist. Beads of sweat trickled down Mal's temples and I saw the agonizing pain he was going through, restraining the man.

Immediately, I ran up behind the hooded man and dug my heel into the side of his head, right under his temple. A pressure point. But to my dismay, it was only long enough for Mal to slip out of his grip. As Mal began to crawl away, the Man drove the edge of the knife against Mal's Akeley's tendon. The visible horrifying pain came out. He cried in a muffled pain. His teeth clenched. "_Ahhhhh!"_

That was it. Nobody hurts the love of my life. No one. I reached into the drawer and found a small steak knife. It wasn't going to be very effective. But with the anger coursing through my veins, I ripped it from the drawer and dove onto the masked man, driving it into his right eyeball. The pain was enough for him to delay his attempt at stabbing me. With that, I grabbed his knife and began repeatedly stabbing him.

Over and over.

Until I was so exhausted and just couldn't anymore.

Mal's voice picked up my drained figure. "Natara! Look out!"

Confused because the intruder was officially restrained, I looked up.

And I never knew true fear. Ever. Sometimes, in a job like this one, you think you do. You think you know the worst of the world, and that you've truly seen everything. But when my eyes met his pale blue irises, with fury scrawled across his expression like a damn open book. I dropped my weapons. "_Shawn…"_

An eerie smile played on the left corner of his mouth. "Nat, I'm so glad I finally found you."

(_Author's Note: It seems like Natara went a little crazy there with almost shooting Mal, but it has to do with her psychology. And you may hate me for making her like that now, but later on in the story it'll be clear. DRAMMMAAAA)_

**Review replies:**

**Katie: I'm not cutting back on purpose! Haha. Just for the story. Momentarily. If you think that there was a ton of maltara in the beginning, there's even more later if you can believe it : ) **

**Molly: hahaha you knew that Blaise was pregnant? I thought that was such a surprise :/ darn it! I hate it when you guys figure out my surprises. BUT WHO DO YOU THINK THE DAD IS?! Ohhhhhhhhh what now**

**Jade: I hope this cleared up all confusion? If not, let me know and I can clear it up! Who do you think the dad is?**


	19. Chapter 16Special Agent Williams

_(Author's Note: This Chapter is specific to her thoughts, her psychology, her dream. Keep it in mind while you read. Otherwise, enjoy!(I just love Natara's character, and really enjoy writing about her, and don't worry. Mal and Blaise will each have their own chapters too!))_

_**Words- Chapter Sixteen- Special Agent Williams**_

_Ticking clocks are time bombs._

_If there's one thing I learned in my life- that would be the one concept that I truly took with me._

_I'm Natara. And I think I died._

_If I did, I deserved it. I just hope Mal didn't. _

_Mal. I don't really want to talk about him. But if I do… then so be it. I made many mistakes while in my career, sometimes, I regret the things I do as well. But pointing a gun at Mal's head, the love of my goddamn life, and my new reason to live, that made me really wonder what I had become_

_In a way, Shawn Mallory already got his wish. He changed me. The day you psychologically alter me so dramatically to truly believe that my partner, best friend, and lover had some vendetta against me, and want to harm me, is the day that I become new._

_But really- I'd been there before, with you, Shawn._

_If I wasn't dead I could reach my arms out. I did, and I felt a warm embrace. And I already knew who it was. "Ah… hey there." His beautiful, deep voice nuzzled me, more aware, but still fully conscious of the fact that I was definitely dreaming._

"_Mal. Thank god it's you! Listen, I'm sorry. I- I dunno what came over me!"_

"_We can talk about it later."_

"_Why can't I see you right now?"_

_I heard him chuckle. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. This must be what hell is."_

"_Don't say that."_

"_I already know that I'm dead, Nat. But even if I'm not, it's still Hell."_

"_Don't talk that way. You're fine. We can survive this."_

"_You don't get what I'm saying, love. I'm saying hell is a day when I can't see you."_

_I avoided the compliment, despite how much it made my heart melt. "We need to find a way out of here. Wherever we are."_

"_Natara, I need you to listen to me. I'm positive that Shawn killed me. But I'm not positive that you're quite there. He wants you to survive. You serve a purpose to him still, he won't hurt you- yet."_

_My heart was stomped on. I wanted to break down. Was he really dead? He couldn't be. We finally confessed our love to one another and he's telling me I won't get to have a real relationship with him, live with him, marry him, or possibly have his children? I squeezed him harder, still feeling the warmth of his embrace. I never, ever wanted to let go. _

"_Come on, babe. Don't do this to me now. I'm preparing you for the worst. If I'm not dead now, I might be in five seconds. I need you to fight through this. If you can't do it for you, do it for me. Because I love you. I'll always love you. Even if I don't get lucky and make it out this time."_

_I shook my head, squeezing the life out of him, still never wanting to part myself from his warmth. "That wasn't luck. It was fate. Coincidence, even. We were decided long before we knew of each other."_

"_I know. And hear me. I want to do so many things with you in my life. Don't let it end here. I need you to fight right now. Give it everything you have."_

_I felt the warmth disappear, as straight chills shot through my body. "Mal, no! Come back! Please! I need you."_

_The only thing was a faded echo. He was much further now. "Fight, love. Fight."_

_Everything went black. And I was numb again._

_My ears only picked up a ticking clock._

_I felt around me, begging to grip Mal, but not yet. Soon, my mind drifted elsewhere. And I heard a very familiar voice._

"_Kai?"_

_His soft laughter was surprisingly soothing, you know, despite it being Kai Kalaba- the geeky forensics guy that nobody prefers to exchange words with. Ever. "Don't sound so excited, Agent Hottie. Look, I need for you to level with me."_

_I waited. _

"_This world is a very immense, desolate place, sometimes. And I guess as a human race, our minds are much weaker than they should be, sometimes. And for some others, it's quite the opposite."_

"_Go on."_

"_I guess what I'm trying to say is…This isn't a battle. This is war. You've won the battles thus far, but look where it's landed you. Shawn is pretty insane…and… erm… you know. You know what makes him tick!"_

"_Okay, Kai, hurry up. Apparently, by that obnoxious ticking in the background, I'm supposed to hurry. So tell me what I need!"_

"_Mal isn't dead, yet. And neither are you. You need to remember what you're dealing with. You need to be confident. Be strong. Mal will forgive you. In time. But right now, give him the chance. Save him."_

_An alarm rang out, and Kai was gone. Mal was gone. It was me. And the darkness again. _

_And I had not even an inkling of what to do. All I knew was that time wasn't on my side. _


	20. Chapter 17

_**Words- Chapter Seventeen- Demons**_

_Detective Mal Fallon- Location Unknown_

The lights in the room flickered, jolting me upright and awake. My eyes wouldn't adjust. Of course, everything muscle in my body was tinged with a numbing sensation. It was tingly, frustrating. I had to find her.

"N-n-_nnnnn-"_ I couldn't speak. I couldn't see. Every attempt to move resulted in a great expulsion of energy wasted. I simply, to begin, tried to breathe. It was the only thing that I could control.

"M-Mal…"

_Natara! _I attempted to stand up, to look around, to find her.

My entire body wouldn't move. I found the paralysis and managed only one thing, to pick up my head.

And then I realized the greater part of the problem. I was chained down to a metal slab of some sorts. The chains were pretty weak, and the opening would have been large enough to sneak my fists through and escape. But unfortunately, Shawn knew that whatever he injected into me wouldn't allow that.

I heard her voice again. "W-Wha… Shawn?"

So badly did I want to be with her. Wherever she was.

"Shawn! I know you're around here somewhere you sick asshole! Where is Mal?"

She had to have been in a different room.

The sound of eerie footsteps shook me, as the face that I wanted so horribly to destroy. Suddenly, I didn't have any problem finding my voice. "S-Shawn?"

Between his terrifying, unkempt appearance and those horrendous teeth that he clearly stopped taking care of, I couldn't figure out which made me cringe more. "Mal."

"What the hell do you want with us, now? You can't just let us live in peace?"

He laughed. "_We?_ No. I don't care about you, Mr. Fallon. You know that my heart only lies with the woman in the adjoining room."

"Natara? Please. She doesn't love you. And she never will. Maybe she used to… but that's straight history."

"I'm not in love with Natara, unlike every other male that makes eye contact with her. No. But I know that you are."

Still fighting to move my body, I remained still. But I did see my fist twitching. Even paralytic, my body still knows who it hates. "You're goddamn right I am. But what does that have to do with anything? You're a miserable, sick human being. And because you made horrible decisions that ended up making your own life miserable, you have to take that out on someone who's truly happy? Your ex-girlfriend? How admirable."

"Oh Detective, look at you! Attempting to do your girlfriend's job?"

I waited, the anger oozing out my immovable bones.

"You think that she's happy, huh? She just pointed a gun at your head! Less than two hours ago! But she's happy…"

As disgusting of a human being as Shawn Mallory was, he was right about that. I assumed she was happy ever since her and I rid ourselves of the burden of keeping our feelings for one another a secret. But obviously she had something going through her mind. I always wanted to be there for her when I could. And no matter how strong she proved herself to be, I knew she was keeping those memories of everything she had been through bottled up. "This isn't about Natara, Shawn! And it's not about Me or any of the other officers in homicide! This is about _you!_ Stop pretending like everything that's wrong with you is Natara's fault. This is you. Your pathetic circumstance of being and how helpless you feel because you screwed up!"

Shawn was surprisingly still. "Maybe so. But either way, since your girlfriend killed my so-called partner. Maybe I should show her how it feels?"

"Oh? Yeah? Pretend you have feelings. We both know that hooded man was somebody you hired in just for help. Nobody on this goddamn planet would ever do a sick, sorry soul like yours a favor! Especially to harm me or Natara!"

"Hmm? Really? What about the Flores'? What about any of the many enemies of your father? Or the bridges that you've burned? Act like I'm some despicable murderer, Fallon, but I am nothing worse than the monster you've become. You _are _your father!"

With that, my entire body fought the paralysis and picked me up off of the metal I was laying on. I brought up my right foot and sent it directly into Shawn's jaw.

"_Urgghhh. You… Youu.."_

He spit out a mouthful of blood and locked eyes with me. "Mal Fallon, I will be back quite shortly."

With that, he disappeared. My body used all its strength to hurt Shawn, when I should have conserved it to get me out of this room. But the good news- I had feeling back in my right leg, and I knew that if I kept fighting and exercising each limb it might eventually gain me movement.

I stretched out my arms as far as possible, beginning with my fingers, slowly feeling the tingling die out. I wasn't so sure how long this was going to last. The numbness.

I just knew I had to get to Natara, before it was too late.

_Detective Jeremy Redbird- SFPD Headquarters_

"I can't wait anymore. I just can't. Let's just go. And when the feed results come in…. we can head there." I sat beside my hyperactive partner, Detective Corso. She insisted about twelve times in the past ten minutes that we begin a rampage throughout Greater San Francisco, searching for Detective Fallon and Agent Williams.

"Calm down. As soon as Kalaba gets results on the feed, we're out the door."

"But I can't wait! Besides! I feel like he's in another one of those twenty warehouses. That's what it looks like! We're wasting an incredible amount of time sitting on our asses!"

At a certain point, I took to discretely holding her hand, to provide her comfort. But despite my efforts, she was a little rambunctious.

"Obviously they've drugged her! She's laying there like a damn corpse."

"Blaise, it's all going to be-"

Thank god I didn't say the dreaded word _fine._ Because the next thing that happened highly contradicted it.

Natara began to twist, move around, and speak. Hearing exact words above the static was difficult. But what my ears did capture clearly indicates that in fact, things were not anything remotely close to being fine.

"Mal? Shawn? What the-"

Her first words came in increments as she adjusted to a seated position. Everything else she said didn't really make sense over the overpowering static.

But what did make sense, that made every single person in the room cringe. An ear-shattering, lung-slaughtering cry. From Mal.

_Forensics Technician- Kai Kalaba _

My fingers violently, maliciously attacked the keyboard as I attempted to track the feed from the camera wired to wherever Mallory had taken the Sexy Agent and Malligator hostage. But for the first time- Natara didn't really appear to be lookin' too hot.

Before I could complete the final process in the trace, a ferocious Blonde Detective stormed into the crime lab, tailing her was her boy toy, Detective Redbird. "Kalaba! I don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on you or anything… but can you please _hurry the f*** up!"_

I let out a deep exhale as I tiny bead of sweat trickled down my cheekbone. "Almost. Almost…. Just two more…."

With the click of two more tiny keys, I uncovered the IP address that the live feed was being wired through. With that, I discovered the approximate location.

"334 Jackson Street! Hurry! The intersection is Jackson and Lafferty! In the industrial district!" I screamed it at them, but turning around, I realized they had already gone.

I chuckled quietly, and only momentarily. "Wow… Fallon, Williams… you've got some amazing ass friends."

**Review Replies:**

**Katie: **Okay. The Call Me Maybe was just enough motivation for me to finish this chapter and update. So everybody, thank this girl! And Originally, I was going to drag this out into some giant like… month-long kidnapping scenario but it turns out I don't have time or energy to do that so you're going to get a bunch of Maltara sooner than later. I knew that would make you very happy

**The Sarcastic Polar Bear: **Shankkkssssss Im going to try to update again one more time tonight. Since my fingers are just literally on auto-pilot at the moment

**NiekaWow: **OMG. Did you see the CoD Maltara yet? AHHHHHH

**Jade: **THANK YOU. I wouldn't say my writing is amazing it's just like on the spot and I proofread but that's about it. I don't go back and try to enhance it. Lol. It is what it is. But thank you nonetheless : )

**Lisa: **1) Yeah, stuffs always goin' down. 2) Eh. I have a minor grasp. Not really. But I can make it sound like I do! Hahaha. 3) No. I don't sleep…. I think I'm truly a nocturnal creature. But they sleep during the day. So that rules it out too. So who knows. 4) You might be right. You might not be. Haha. THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW

**Tori: **Natara is flippin' insaneeeeeeeeeeee. That's my opinion. Who points a gun at Mal? He's a sweetie pie. You don't do that. BAD NATARA.


	21. Chapter 18Detective Mal Fallon

_**Words- Chapter Eighteen- Detective Malachi Fallon**_

_I don't really remember how I got here._

_I try pretty damn hard to not remember a lot of things. And it's been a substantial, legitimate means for years._

_Until I met her._

_Like a freight train, she hit me and there was no going back. I had sprung into a new life. A new me. A changed me. I was no longer sitting in my dingy apartment- letting the depression suck me up like a black hole. Sandra had done a number. Tasha died. Selene has a personality disorder._

_Natara Williams had her baggage, too, more so than maybe any of them. But here's the kicker: I've never ever wanted somebody so badly before._

_Not just wanted. _

_Loved, cared for, would die for…_

_Plus, never have I ever wanted someone so badly, regardless of baggage._

_Before her, there was one person who I would call a best friend. Detective Ken Greene. _

_Yeah, I haven't had a great year. He's dead, too._

_There was also Detective Blaise Corso, whom I knew very well. In fact, if the circumstances ever said Natara wasn't here, then Blaise would easily be my best friend. Blaise would always hold my trust. She's always been there for me. _

_As I sit in this ever-blinding white place, I wonder to myself._

_What the hell do I do next?_

_I began talking out loud, into the white abyss. "Great. This is right along with my luck…"_

_A sharp, deep voice that I knew well, but hadn't heard in a while, spoke out from somewhere above me. It was very amplified, like it was coming from a loudspeaker. "Fallon, what the hell did you get yourself into this time?"_

_My eyes scanned the space. Only finding white. Clear, not changing, white. "…Ken? What the-" I sighed. "I knew I was dead."_

_His chuckle took to the air. Loud, but it was most certainly from him. "Can it, man. Did you really think that this is the end, already?" I was silent for a moment, truly contemplating it. "Well. Yeah. Is it not? Because I can't feel anything. It sure feels like I'm dead."_

"_How would you know what it feels like to be dead? Listen, I'm trying to explain something to you, partner. I'm supposed to give you this motivational speech so you can be Agent Williams' sexy prince charming, and ride in on a white horse and save the day. Alright?"_

_I held back my laugh, only imagining that he was right. Natara would love that. _

"_Fallon, you've been to hell and back. Don't let this world crush you now. It wasn't meant to be this way! You've gotta keep fightin'."_

"_I don't know. How do I do that? I feel like I'm in that movie "The Cube". You remember? That messed up one we watched way back when? We were drunk."_

_A muffled laugh echoed from him. But he masked it and kept speaking seriously. "Right, do you remember how they got out?"_

"_Didn't they die?"_

"_Nevermind." He replied promptly. "Horrible example. Think of….you know. That movie. The one about the…"_

_I laughed. "Ken, you know I haven't watched a movie in about five years. I haven't had time to. Well, except the other night with Nat-"_

_He interrupted. "That's it! You know what I'm going to say next. If you can't do it for you…"_

_I finished his sentence. "Do it for her."_

"_Exactly. Listen, she needs you right now. More than you know. Physically, she's a strong woman who can defend herself. But inside, she's a mess. You've gotta help her."_

_I sighed. "I know. I know. I just don't know what to say. What to do…She would never tell me anything about being upset. It would involve her breaking down. She's too stubborn."_

"_Yeah, believe me. I know. You forgot that I dated Amy."_

_Amy. Amy Chen. I missed her. Everybody missed her. And I didn't want to change subject. But I had to ask, since I had Ken's ear, "How's she doin'?"_

_The air grew quiet. "She's… different. A lot different than she was. But she's happy right now. As long as she's happy, I am. Sure, I wish she had somebody I trusted like you, Natara, or Blaise, to look over her. But… she's happy."_

"_That's good. One of our missions is always to find her, talk to her, but… you know how that is."_

"_Nah. We don't want Ames in any trouble. I'm no hypocrite. But if that were my last wish…"_

_Again, nothing was really said. He just trailed off. _

_But he spoke again. "…But I already made my last wish before I got here. I asked for you to find your happiness. You've been through some shit. So if you really want to do me a favor, don't let it go. Don't let Nat go."_

_I sighed, a small tear escaping my cheek._

"_I'll see you around, Detective."_

_I smiled up, not really sure if he was up there or not. "See you down the road, Ken."_

_And then a voice that I also knew, that I also loved. Adored. Chimed in, speaking in a soft whisper. "Mal, I need you right now."_

"_Natara, babe, I-"_

_Suddenly, the decibels in her voice increased triple and she was as loud as Ken. "Mal! We're running out of time! Help me! Please! You're my partner!"_

"_Yeah, I am. And you just tried to kill me not that long ago."_

_Suddenly, her voice was gone. And I felt my heart sink. "Natara! Natara! Where are you!"_

_Nothing. Just eerie, trickling silence._

"_Nat! Please. I'm sorry! I know you didn't mean it!"_

_Nothing still._

_And I wondered if this was really just a dream after all._

_And if I was simply too late._

_(Author's note: I re-read this and hated it but for those of you who I've mentioned this to, I don't ever edit things. Soo… enjoy!)_

**Review Replies:**

**Molly: **Wowwww. Thanks so much! Haha you have no idea how hard it was to write the insane Natara bit. I was wondering if I really could. I'm like 'yeahhhh this is going to turn out horrible. I cannot write it'. But I think it adds a little to the story.

**Jade:** Oh yeahhhhhh sorry for the confusion! The scream was when Mal kicked Shawn in the face lmao. He exerted so much energy. A lot of this story is backtracking. It starts in some point and goes back in time to someone else's point of view. Would it be easier if I explicitly stated that?

**Tori:** I LOVE Kai! No seriously, do you love Kai? Or do you just love Kai? I feel like I don't understand why everybody else at the precinct hates Kai. If this were real and I worked there Kai would be my best friend : )

**NiekaWow: **HAHHHHH Thank god I didn't wanna have to be like *spoiler alert*. I just hate how EA took away Mal as soon as the Maltara happened. That really irritated me. If they kill him off, I am going to boycott CoD.

**Maytay33:** Awwww shanks! And yepppp Kai is my homie. Love Kai. I wish I could put more of his POV's in the story but he's not serious enough of a character and if I make him be serious just this once then I don't like him anymore lol


	22. Chapter 19

_**Words- Chapter Nineteen- The War**_

_Detective Blaise Corso- Some Warehouse _

"Redbird, Horowitts, Jensen, secure the upper half of this building! Now, go! Bartaugh, Oliver, secure the perimeter! Smith and Ashley, follow me! Help me secure the first two stories! " I began hollering orders at about ten police officers as we approached the crime scene.

But before I went parading into the building, acting Captain Anders began scolding me. "Corso! What makes you think you're in charge, here? I am the captain of this department and officers!"

"I'm in charge as long as I'm in this panic, and my best friends are in danger. Now move!"

Despite his following protests, Jeremy Redbird, Keith Horowitts, and Laura Jensen went sprinting up the outside, metal, sketchy-looking staircase, monitoring the activity in the windows as they went up. I mouthed to Jeremy as he disappeared up the death trap staircase. "You better be careful, asshole. I'm going to need you in nine months."

Apparently, I didn't say that quiet enough. The officers rushing along side of me couldn't help but ask. Officer Jennifer Smith's mouth gaped open. "Blaise? You're pregnant? It's _Jeremy's?"_

"Not. Right. Now. Smith."

She sighed. "You brought it up!" Officer David Ashley tailed the two of us as we approached the door.

I motioned hand signals to the other two officers as I whispered. "You guys ready?"

They nodded.

And we kicked down the door.

_Special Agent Natara Williams- My New Prison, Apparently- Only 20 minutes earlier_

My muscles continued to ache as I sat waiting in impatient anxiety. I hadn't heard Mal speak in five minutes, and my voice began to get hoarse from screaming for either him or Shawn. "Malachi Charles Fallon, if you don't answer me right now… I swear to god…"

Tears began to consume my cheeks, thinking that maybe this was it. Maybe Shawn did kill him. If he stabbed him, Mal's ability to speak would have been lost as soon as penetration of the skin happened- just like how it is in the movies. He was in shock. "Listen! I'm going to count to three."

"One." My voice sounded like I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for half my life.

"Two." My lungs burned.

"…. Thr-"

The faintest reply came from the other room. "N-Nat… I'm alright."

I breathed the world's largest sigh of relief, and buried the rest of my tears. "Thank god! Where are you! Can you get to me?"

I was definitely wishful thinking. Or was I? "I'm numb all over, Natara. I'm surprised I can even talk. Can you move?"

"Yes, but I'm locked in this room. There aren't any windows and… the door won't budge."

I just heard him sigh loudly.

"Where's Shawn?" I spoke in only a loud whisper, hoping he would hear it.

"Don't know. But I'd rather not wait long enough to find out."'

"True. Can you move at all?"

"No. Can't you pick locks?"

"There's not even a door handle, Mal. Trust me. I thought of that like last year."

He chuckled, which made me allow a slight smile.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I would have never-"

He interrupted me. "Don't apologize. I love you, Natara. Let's just focus on getting out of here right now. We can talk about anything else way later."

That didn't really help. I still thought he was going to break up with me and get a restraining order as soon as we got away from Shawn. If we got away from Shawn. "I love you, too." I replied.

And as soon as I did, a bright, blinding light came bursting through my new prison cell. Followed by Satan. "Shawn. Pleasure to see you again." I muttered.

"Pleasure's all mine. But hey, I'd hate to interrupt the love fest and all, but our time's about to run out. And… well… I did say that I personally owe somebody a favor so… let's not waste anymore time."

My past came back around and hit me like a bullet, nearly knocking me over, when I saw the face in the doorway, just behind him.

Thin eyeglasses, narrowed eyes, shoulder-length, tan hair.

If I didn't despise her inner being so much, I would have actually been scared. But I guess, I shouldn't have been surprised. "Genevieve?"

Her sinister giggle filled the space as her black, dagger-like stiletto heels clicked along the cement floor towards me. "Agent Williams… Nice to see you. It's.. unfortunate, though, the circumstances."

I stood up to her, fighting the exhaustion eating away at my body. "You.. You evil _bitch._ You wrote those notes!"

She froze in her tracks. "Come on, now, miss FBI, shouldn't you know a little bit about a thing called evidence? And how you need it to make a proper accusation?"

"My evidence is that you're a filthy, old scumbag of a human and you deserve nothing but lethal injection! And if you even attempt to harm me, or the man in the next room, I will assure that it's what you receive!"

"But dear, I've never killed anybody, really. I teach an art to curious souls. Just like how you trained in Quantico for the bureau, I've got my own little bureau here in San Francisco."

My eyes glared at Shawn, as I noticed him slyly slip her a black pistol- the same one I pointed at my partner's head.

"And you know what they say, Agent… If they won't join you… _beat them."_

I stood still, standing my ground. Not even trembling.

_Come on, Natara. _I told myself over and over. _You know what makes them tick._

"You're not going to kill me." I said.

It was my same tactic as last time, standing firm and strong. But what she said next scared me to death, and I couldn't shield myself from these shivers. "Not yet. Because I figure, you're a criminal. But you've never truly been served your justice. And the only way to punish somebody like you…"

She trailed off.

"… Is to punish somebody they love."

I gawked in horror as Shawn silently wheeled in Mal. I just wanted to run over and squeeze him. But I couldn't. I needed a game plan. "Genevieve, what crimes have I ever committed? I'm an innocent person!"

She laughed her creepy laugh once more. "Oh, please. Let me create a list, shall we? Murder, self-defense or not, it's still the same concept, sweet pea. Ignorance. Stupidity… Arrogance. But how about the biggest one… _infidelity."_

All I could to was charge at her, but Shawn's cold fingers gripped me away. "You pathetic bitch!"

Mal struggled as much as possible, despite his chains binding him. I wasn't so sure he was numb anymore. His face was a dark red shade, and his veins popped out. I wasn't scared for me. I was, though, terrified for him. "Shawn," Genevieve piped up, "Control your girlfriend, please. I need to get this started. Before somebody hears and reports this tirade."

I whipped my head around and spit a giant wad at Shawn's eyeball, which caused him to momentarily release his grip on me. I took full advantage and decked him right under his jaw, sending him flying onto the floor behind me. I tried to keep a watch on Mal and Genevieve, but I had just begun a full on brawl. _My war with Shawn Mallory._

His fingers gripped my ankles, dragging me down onto the ground and centering his weight on top of me. I fought, kicked, and used all of my force to get him off of me. But it was no use. A heavy force against my eye, probably a punch, knocked my head back against the cement floor. My vision went hazy. And my head burned with an ache. But I kept fighting. I just heard Genevieve in the background hollering, "Shawn! Are you kidding me? Get a handle on her, now!"

I knew she was far too old to join the brawl. So I ignored her attempts to settle it and continued fighting Shawn. I brought up my knee as far as I could, knocking Shawn in the gut and completely knocking the wind out of him. "_Ahhhgghhh…"_

I used that advantage and searched the ground for anything. Anything metal. Nothing. Then I remembered- the sparkling on my left ring finger….

My engagement ring from Oscar became a weapon as I began violently scraping it against his skin. "_Ouuuuch. Shii-"_

His cussing was cut off as I began continually throwing punches against his abdomen and face. I was truly an assault robot.

Shawn was momentarily immovable. And I looked up.

"Genevieve…" She was speechless.

I ripped the pistol from her old, frail hand and pointed it at Shawn. "You want me to be your killing machine?"

She waited, her mouth agape and her face stoic, but yet apparent that she was in shock. "So be it."

I turned to Shawn. "Baby… " I cautiously approached the evil, atrocious man and clamped my shoe against his throat. Cutting off all oxygen supply. "… I just want to say… It's been fun."

I pulled the trigger, expelling a shiny bullet that danced through the air and into his heart. Directly. This time. I was positive. "But I think we should break up…."

I stepped back, analyzing what I just did, a small tear escaping. "And we are never ever ever getting back together."


	23. Chapter 20

_**Words- Chapter Twenty- The War Part II**_

_Detective Mal Fallon's POV_

A whole new fire existed in my love's eyes. She had just murdered Shawn Mallory. And maybe this time, he would actually die. After all, she needed to be the one to do it. Fate wouldn't have had it any other way.

But as soon as Natara shot Shawn, their eyes both focused on my chained-down body. I still couldn't move. But I wasn't numb any longer.

"Genevieve, you got what you wanted. Your final favor…"

She remained silent, in total shock that Natara just shot Shawn square in the chest. Because without him, she was nothing.

Or was she.

"… I'm taking you in." Natara finished.

Instead of replying, Genevieve slipped out a scalpel from her jacket's pocket, and narrowed her gaze on Natara. "Sweetie, you just killed my child."

"Shawn is not your child, you maniac! He's a psychopath! And you made him that way!"

Just as Genevieve was about to stab that thin blade into Natara, a door burst open behind me. "SFPD! _Freeze!"_

My ex-partner with the bright blonde hair stood in the door, gun aimed directly at Genevieve. The old woman's mouth was still dropped. It looked like she wasn't even breathing. She was surrounded on all sides.

And fear was biting me.

No matter what, Genevieve was going down. Her next decision made time stand still.

Genevieve Collins sprinted at Blaise, aiming the scalpel at her stomach. And before anybody could react, the blade went in. "Oh by the way, congratulations on your bundle of joy."

Blaise's expression told everything. An ear-shattering cry escaped Blaise's lips as it went in. Nobody could move. Nobody could believe it.

And after that, Genevieve found a hole in the wall of the hallway, showing a plummeting drop towards the pavement. At least eight stories down.

Jeremy's eyes filled with terror, he rushed to Blaise and began to apply pressure on the wound.

Bustling commotion overtook the room as the other officers, except Natara, who looked completely brain-dead, ambushed Genevieve.

But before the cuffs could go on her wrists, she turned to face everyone. She blew a kiss. And let herself fall backwards and out of our vision.

_Special Agent Natara Williams' POV_

In disbelief that Genevieve had just stabbed Blaise and then committed suicide, I was completely frozen. Frozen until I noticed the officers undoing Mal's restraints. I rushed over, faster than I had ever run for anything, and collapsed into his arms immediately. His warmth and love suffocating my pores and making me feel, despite the entire situation around me…. Safe. At home.

Officer David Ashley began to yell. "Mal, Natara, you guys alright?"

We both nodded in unison, sharing an uneasy glance. I still wouldn't let go of him. How could I? I was so grateful.

Then I remembered that Blaise had just been stabbed, and I momentarily separated myself from his arms and ran to her. At this point, she was on the ground, cringing in utter pain. "J-Jeremy…" She gripped his arms for dear life as he held tight pressure on the wound.

The remaining officers came parading upstairs, and the EMTs quickly surrounded Blaise as the color washed out from her face. I turned to Mal. "What did Genevieve say to her, before she stabbed her?"

"Congratulations on your bundle of joy…"

"Oh my god" I mumbled shakily. "S-She was pregnant!"

_Detective Jeremy Redbird's POV_

The ambulance rushed downtown, without me. "Family members only, please." The paramedic told me hastily.

"I am family! I objected. "I'm the father of her child!"

Instead, he shut the door in my face. And the van with blinking lights sped away.

I did as instructed and tailed in my police cruiser until I reached the urgent care, where they still wouldn't let me see her.

I sat on pins and needles, hoping that by some miracle, the baby had survived. No, I wasn't ready to be a dad, but you don't get to pick and choose things like this in life. I knew that I loved Blaise. And that because of that, I would have loved whatever was in her stomach.

The doctor came into the waiting area and took a seat next to me. And before he even said anything, I knew what the tall, older man was going to say. "Good evening, Mr. Redbird. I… well- you know what? I'm supposed to tell you this myself. But Ms. Corso is almost done getting stitched up so, you can actually go see her yourself. She's a pretty feisty one. I'm sure she'll tell you." He laughed and motioned for me to follow him.

One awkward hallway walk later, we arrived at not a room, but a curtain that was sectioned off to separate the beds. The doctor lifted up the bottom of the curtain and let me under, but disappeared after that. And regardless, my mind was only focused on Blaise. "Babe…"

She sighed. "Do not ever give me pet names, rookie."

I approached her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "You should have just told me. Then I would have never let you go in there in the first place."

"Should've. Could've. Would've. Obviously, I didn't think I was going to get stabbed by Genevieve Collins."

"I know. You're right. And for the record, that woman shouldn't have been able to kill herself. Someone should of shot her."

Blaise spoke softly and her eyelids fluttered. I knew she had to be exhausted. "Everyone was in shock. I was in shock. It's nobody's fault- what happened today, except that pathetic woman that stabbed me."

I approached the bed and placed a gentle hand on hers, hoping her reaction would be pleasant. To my surprise, she intertwined her fingers with mine and smiled at me. "Jeremy, I've wanted to talk to you about something. And since this whole mess is over… I need to tell you… I lied."

"You lied?"

"There was never anybody else. It was always just you."

I ignored the part of me that wanted to jump up and down, and kept focused. "But then… why did you-"

"Look, I am a normal human being with feelings, emotions, everything. When Anders told me that he knew about us, I panicked. And that's what I did."

"So even after all of this, it's still about who knows?"

She shook her head and made a cute face that said to kiss her, with her lips puckered. I chuckled and let my lips meet hers. After a long, blissful moment, one that I never wanted to end, I smiled at her. "Will you be mine, officially, Blaise Corso?"

She began to move around in her hospital bed like a little schoolgirl, and gripped my wrists with her hands. "Definitely."

We shared another sweet, silent kiss, and time stood still. "Do you wanna hear something kinda creepy?"

"Sure."

"I love you."

She laughed in order to hide the pink from coming to her cheeks. "God, you're such a softie…. But yeah, I love you."

"Whatever. You know that you love it. But… let's go home. I'm starving."

She sighed playfully. "Only if you buy me dinner."

I giggled, helping her rise from the bed. "Do I have a choice?"

_District Attorney Oscar Santos- His Apartment_

Idly sitting by my fireplace, I finished the remaining of the packing that needed to be done. Blaise stopped coming over about two days ago. I'd assumed she'd no longer required help from me, or that I'd weirded her out by asking her out. But either way, I had watched the news. Natara was back.

The news had disclosed very little, but mostly, they came clean that the original disappearance of Mal and Natara was a ruse, and that they didn't run away together. They were sent into witness protection to be kept safer. Obviously, I wished she would have just told me. I knew that she couldn't, but it made me suspect things. It made me wonder where she was right now. With Mal, I assumed.

I clicked off the television and began packing up more pictures that used to be hanging from the walls. Pictures of Natara and I, that surely wouldn't even go up in my next place.

Our wedding was supposed to be in two days.

Supposed to be.

I skipped that task for now, not being able to really do it. Yet. I sighed, recognizing the many memories with Natara Williams.

"Oscar Santos, are you reminiscing?"

Her voice tickled my right ear. She was standing right behind my chair. "Natara? What are you doing here?"

"I… Well… I just wanted to tell you in person, you know. For real this time."

I nodded, grimacing towards the floor, still refusing to face her. "Tell me what? That the wedding's off? Or that you're in love with Fallon?"

"Both." Wow, Nat, don't bother beating around the bush.

"So then when you came in here to get your things, you weren't really kidding, were you?"

"Why do you think I was crying? I knew it was over long before I left. I was just waiting for you to realize it, too."

Those words stung a little, but she was absolutely right. "So then. Where are you going to go stay?"

The room became silent. I knew the answer to that.

"Mal… of course. How could I forget?"

"Yes. But we're taking things slow."

"That's probably for the better."

"Yeah."

It grew awkward, and what she did next surprised me.

Her hands rested on my shoulder as she delicately kissed my cheek. "Bye Oscar…"

I heard her flip flops echo as they smacked the floor. "I wish you the best."

The door slammed shut behind her, and I finally looked behind me. When I did, I noticed a glimmering brightness on my shoulder. I felt the tiny silver ring and its luminous diamonds gleaming off the fire. It was her engagement ring.

_Author's note: I hated this. So I'm doing an epilogue. I wrote it when I had a migraine…Plus, I'm waiting to reply to the rest of the reviews until after the story is finished._

_And Maltara enthusiasts, you will LOVE the ending : )_


	24. Epilogue

_**Words- Epilogue- Six Months**_

_Special Agent Natara Williams- Fisherman's Wharf- 6 Months Later_

"Mal, it's freezing. I think that mid-winter fishing is awesome just as much as the next guy… but can we maybe go home and snuggle instead?"

He giggled, pulling me into him for warmth. "We aren't fishing. I told you. I just wanted to go for a walk."

The cold winter air kept biting me, despite Mal's warm arm draped over my shoulder. "Can't we maybe go walk… you know… someplace with heat? Let's go back to your apartment! We can walk in place!"

He giggled again. "You're funny, Agent… but hey, remember this place? All the glorious memories?"

"Maskmaker? Yeah… that's where I met you."

He smiled, and I knew right then, that he was definitely up to something. "And thank god for that."

I turned and immersed myself in his warm body, his arms snaked around my waist and our lips pressed together. Frozen in time. And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I stayed in his arms forever, even after the kiss broke apart. The feeling was incredible and completely indescribable. After about three minutes of pure silence soaking with nothing but love, Mal began to whisper into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "Which brings me to something… no matter how frigid we both are right now, I love this place. It's where I met you."

I smiled into his chest.

"I love you. And here's the truth: I was going to wait. I was going to do something really cheesy at the precinct and get everyone's attention. But I know you don't like that stuff. So this is how it's going to be: I wanted to tell you for so long how I've felt. And I waited. And waited. And _waited. _Painfully. And I don't want to wait any longer."

Watching Mal lower himself onto one knee was comical, it was something I never expected to ever see. But his sparkling blue eyes met mine as he took hold of my left hand. "Don't laugh at me, Nat. I'm going to do this the right way. Because you're worth it. And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'd be nothing without you… and I was absolutely nothing until I met you…"

"Yes."

He sighed, and grinned. "You've gotta let me finish!"

"Fine…"

"Alright. I was nothing until I met you. So would you do me the honor of marrying me, Natara Mansingh?"

I pulled him up and into my arms. A heart-melting kiss occurred that from my point of view, shook the ground I was standing on. "Williams… And yes. I most definitely will."

He slipped the ring on my left ring finger and whispered in my ear once more, still not releasing me from his arms. "Actually, it's Fallon."

"Got it!" A blonde-haired woman popped up from behind a large fishing boat with a video camera in hand.

"Blaise?! What are you doing here?"

Mal had a sinister smile on his face. And I realized what he did. "Your fiancé over here asked me to record the big moment. I felt pretty honored."

I shook my head as Mal pulled me in close again. "Hey, it's not total cheese-ville. But come on, I need something to show the kids."

I shot a horrified look and he laughed. "Kidding… for now."

The three of us walked down the docks and back towards the warmth of the city buildings. I knew that I had never been happier in my life. I had the love of my life, officially, and I never planned on letting him get away. And with Shawn and Genevieve both dead, I felt at peace. Despite my inner demons, I knew I wouldn't ever have to fight them alone. And I also knew that those words, from Mal's lips as he asked me to be his wife, would be words I'd never forget.

_Author's note: Do ya'll want a sequel?_


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